Pella Conference: 2011
Table of Contents
Seven Things to Exercise Us to Have a Clean Life
Address—Robert Boulard
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Wonder if we could start our meeting tonight with #197.
Maybe.
A local brother could start it 197.
Oh God, what courts are?
Twilight.
Strong.
Grace that strengthened by Drew to draw our souls on.
Our strength is as Lord.
Thank you all this way up here and life broke yourself and follows.
My younger years seeking question based on.
Drawn by such words will unread No, no.
Problem.
I have to say the God chains of blood.
And Grace are saying.
Your skin.
Let's just ask the Lord's blessing on our I'd like to just turn first to open up to one portion of Scripture in Second Corinthians chapter 5 and verse 14.
2nd Corinthians chapter 5 and verse 14 For the love of Christ constraineth us.
Because we thus judge that if one died for all, then we're all dead, and that he died for all, that they which live should not henceforth live unto themselves, but unto him which died for them and rose again. Oh, God has given us a high calling. Not only are we saved by His grace and by His love, but He's given us new desires. Because we have a new life. We have very life of Christ. We're indwelled with the Spirit of God.
And His love constrains us day by day, day by day. Don't you sense the love of the Lord? Don't you want to live in the love of that blessed One? And it says that they which live should not henceforth live unto themselves, but unto him which died for them and rose again. Well, I want to speak this afternoon just very briefly about purity, about things that perhaps we often find a little difficult to talk about.
But you know, the Word of God is sufficient for all of our needs in this world. And you know, Brother Bill Warr used to say something to this effect. He said that this world, this earth is the most wicked place in all of God's creation.
It's the most filthy, wicked place and it's filled with sin. But God has given us His word and He's given us those of us that know the Lord Jesus as Savior. We're indwelt with the Spirit. He's given us the power to live a clean life in the most wicked place in all of God's creation. And I would just want to look at a couple of young people this afternoon, Jacob's sons, one of Jacob's sons, and then his only daughter.
And just see how the enemy was seeking to take them down and to defile them, but how they were, how Joseph was preserved. Let's just turn to Genesis. We'll look at Dinah first.
I just want to read in chapter 30 verse 21 first.
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Genesis 30 verse 21. Afterwards she bare a daughter and called her name Dinah. And then just a little further on in chapter 30.
34.
34 and verse one. Actually, let's just read chapter 33 and Jeff verse 18.
Genesis 33 and verse 18 And Jacob came to Shalem, a city of Sheikham, which is in the land of Canaan. And when he came from Pedan Arum, and pitched his tent before the city. And he bought a parcel of the field where he had spread his tent at the hand of the children of Hamor Shecom's father, for 100 pieces of money, and erected there an altar, and called it ILO He Israel.
In Dinah the daughter of Leah, which she bear unto Jacob, went out to see the daughters of the land. And when she come, the son of Hamor the hiveite Prince of the country, saw her. He took her and lay with her, defiled her in his sole clave unto Dinah the daughter of Jacob. And he loved the damsel, and spake kindly unto the damsel. And Shechem spake unto his father Hamor, saying, Get me this damsel to wife. And Jacob heard.
That he had defiled Dinah, his daughter. Now his sons were with his cattle in the field, and Jacob held his peace until they were come. Well, we're not going to spend a lot of time on this story. And I don't want to really spend a lot of time on the story about Joseph. And I would rather look in the New Testament at perhaps seven ways, seven things that we might consider and be exercised about how to have a clean and a pure life in the sight of God.
You know, Paul could speak to Timothy and he could say, let's I'm not going to be able to quote it here, but let's turn to second Timothy. Hold your place there and he could say in verse chapter 2, second Timothy 2 and verse 21, I'm just going to read part of the verse a vessel unto honor sanctified meet for the masters use.
And prepared unto every good work.
You know, young people, I went to an office not too long ago, fellow that I used to work with used to work for him.
And he's a Roman Catholic man. I don't believe he's saved yet.
But we trust the Lord with contact from time to time, that the work of the Spirit might be deepened in his heart.
But, you know, he got, he acquired himself a set of CDs. He drives, he lives in Michigan and he works in Ohio and he drives to work and he comes and he stays for a week in his condo in Ohio. And then he drives back to Michigan and he has lots of time. And so he got himself a set of CDs by Alexander Scorby, read by Alexander Scorby of the Scriptures. And I came into his office not too long ago and I said, Terry.
Are you listening to the Word of God on CD?
Are you listening? He said, yes, I've started in Genesis. He says, and I can't understand if this is God's word, all of the immorality and all the filthiness and all the wickedness at the beginning of this book, a beginning of the Bible. He says, why is it that God has told us about all these stories? Why is it? Well, I said to him, you know, it's because God wants us to know by illustration how wicked the heart of man is.
And how his grace is sufficient to overcome and that we might have a clean life, a pure life. And so God wants us to be a vessel unto honour. Sanctified. You know what it means to be sanctified means to be set apart by God for a holy purpose. God wants to not only for you to be saved, but to have a saved life set apart by himself for a holy purpose. Not holy purpose is to bring forth glory to His name in this scene, in this filthy wicked world.
Well, you know, Dinah here, it says that Jacob did something and that is that he came and he pitched his tent before a city and perhaps gives us a little bit of a, a, a sense that he wasn't as much of A Pilgrim as he could have been or should have been at this point in time. And he bought a parcel of land and he settled down a little bit in this world, just a little bit. Not a lot, but it's a lesson to us, you know, those of us that are fathers.
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If we settle down into this world just a little bit, why it's going to have an effect upon our children. And this is perhaps the only daughter, as I say, that Jacob had and.
You can sense that perhaps she was lonely, wanted to have some fellowship there. She had brothers in the house and so on, and she wanted to go out and have some female companionship, those that were someone that she could talk to and visit with. But God gives us this lesson here, that she went to the wrong place for her fellowship. She left her father's house, she left the safety of a godly home and she left that place and she went out to see the daughters of the land.
And there there was a boy she come, the son of Hamor, the highlight, The Prince of the country saw her and took her and lay with her and defiled her. So I just want to say this is a little bit of an illustration and I present this little story. Read this little story.
There may be some sisters here, and you may be the only sister in the assembly where you are.
Maybe the only young person, the only young sister.
May God give you grace to go to the conferences. God give you a grace.
Not to go to see the daughters of the world, because you know this is a wicked world.
And the enemy is seeking to destroy your life, and he doesn't care how he does it. He wants to destroy your life.
And this girl innocently went out and didn't understand the principles that this work, this world operates on. And those boys that she saw, they might have had decent clothing and a decent upgrimming upbringing and so on, but they were used to taking what they wanted. Not asking God for what they wanted, what they needed, but in independence of God, reaching out and taking what was good in their sight. But you know, Jacob had a daughter.
A Princess, his name had been changed to Israel, means a Prince with God.
This man was a highlight. He was a Prince among the Canaanites and.
This was a Prince.
A prince's daughter, Dinah, precious in the sight of the Lord.
Precious Everyone of you, dear young people, is precious to the heart of God.
Everyone of you.
And the Lord delights to bless you and he'll reward your faith if you seek to walk with him in purity and if you seek to have the fellowship of those that are of a like precious faith. I just want to turn to Acts chapter 4. Read a well known verse.
Want to encourage you to seek your fellowship with those that are gathered to the Lord's name. Those that are believers that know the Lord Jesus as their Savior and make your companions. Those that says in Acts chapter 4 verse 23 being let go, they went to their own company and reported all that the chief priests and elders that sent it to them. Just this little phrase being let go, they went to their own company.
You know, the Lord's desire is that the social center of your life as young people, those of us that are older to the social center of your life and mine is those that are believers ought to be other believers. And we don't want to speak I'll of those that are not gathered to the Lord's name or anything like that. But it's wonderful to be able to keep company with those that love the truth and want to walk in all of the truth of God.
19th Psalm, verse 63. Let's read it together. I could quote it, but let's just read it together. 119, verse 63.
It says I am a companion of all them that fear thee.
And of them that keep thy precepts are you a companion of those that fear the Lord, that are afraid of displeasing the Lord?
Well, Dinah went out to see the daughters of the land and she got herself into trouble. We don't see, we don't read too much of her afterwards, but we know that there was an act of wickedness on the part of Simeon and Levi. While we don't have a lot of time to comment any further on that, but let's turn to Genesis chapter 37.
Just a couple pages over and read a couple of things in connection with Joseph.
Verse three. Israel loved Joseph more than all his children because he was the son of his old age.
And he made him a coat of many colors. And when his brethren saw that their father loved him more than all his brethren, they hated him, and could not speak peaceably unto him.
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And a little further on in.
The.
Chapter 39.
First one.
Joseph was brought down to Egypt, and Potiphar, an officer of Pharaoh, captain of the guard, an Egyptian, bought him of the hands of the Ishmaelites which had brought him down, hit her thither. And the Lord was with Joseph and was a prosperous man, and he was in the House of his master the Egyptian. And his master saw that the Lord was with him, and that the Lord had made all that he did to prosper in his hand. And Joseph found grace in his sight, and he served him, and he made him overseer over his house.
And all that he had he put into his hand. And it came to pass from the time that he had made him overseer in his house, and over all that he had, that the Lord blessed the Egyptians house for Joseph's sake. And the blessing of the Lord was upon all that he had in the house and in the field. And he left all that he had in Joseph's hand. And he knew not ought he had saved the bread which he did eat. And Joseph was a goodly person, and well favored. And it came to pass after these things, that his master's wife cast her eyes upon Joseph.
And she said, Lie with me, But he refused, and said unto his master's wife, Behold, my master, what if not, what is with me in the house? And he hath committed all that he hath to my hand. There is none greater in this house than I. Neither hath he kept back anything from me but thee, because thou art his wife. How then can I do this great wickedness and sin against God? And it came to pass, as she spoke to Joseph day by day, that he hearkened not under her, to lie by her, or to be with her.
And it came to pass about this time that Joseph went into the house to do his business, and there was none of the men in the house, of the house there within. And she caught him by his garment, saying, lie with me. And he left his garment in her hand and fled and got him out. Well, we'll stop there. We all know this story very well. We've learned it from our youth. And it's a picture of what God tells us in New Testament. He says flee fornication, and Joseph fled fornication.
His sister Dinah had fallen. Perhaps he knew about Ruben and his sin and he didn't know. Perhaps in connection with Judah and his sin of lying with a harlot with a prostitute.
But here there's a young man, 17 years old, brought up in his father's house in the fear of God, and he wanted to please the Lord. Do I? Can I ask you a question, dear young people? Do you want to please the Lord? Is there, is there a desire in your heart to walk with the Lord? Joseph as a young man, it seems like everything just went wrong for him because he walked with God and he was a principled man.
But he found himself in the workplace and he was alone with this woman.
You know, when I was a young man working in Eastern Ontario someplace.
There was a little assembly and I went to work for a man that was building house.
And he wasn't married very long, maybe a couple of years, 2-3 years. And he was building a house and he had a cabinet maker come into the house and.
Custom manufacturer kitchen for his wife. He came into the house in the middle of the day and he began to install some of these kitchen cabinets and so on and.
This man's wife was by herself and they got talking and talking and had a cup of tea and that sort of thing.
And finally, after a little bit of conversation, this man said I'd like to hug you.
You know, I just want to say this in faithfulness to you, dear young people, to all of us, if we need to be careful not to be alone with those of the opposite sex in a situation where we might find ourselves.
Led to temptation and Joseph here was a slave and you know he might say, well, I just desired.
Nobody could blame me because, you know, I'm a slave and what's the prospect of me ever having a wife? What's the prospect of me ever raising a family? And what's the prospect of me ever having things the way they should be? You know, it says in the 105th Psalm, it says that the word of the Lord tried him. It tested him. God's word. God had spoken a word through him. Let's look at that, the 105th Psalm.
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Verse 17 He sent a man before them, even Joseph, who was sold for a servant whose feet they hurt with fetters. He was laid in iron until the time that his word came, the word of the Lord tried him.
God's word tested him. He had the word of God and it was tested because.
He believed God when the test came, he believed what God had to say.
Do you believe what God has to say? You know what it says in Deuteronomy. It says that man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God shall man live.
Joseph believed God and he fled from that household and he was further humiliated and but I want to just turn a couple of chapters over in chapter 41 of Genesis verse 30, verse 46.
Let's read verse 45.
Genesis 41 verse 45 Joseph. Pharaoh called Josephs names Afnath Panaya and he gave him to wife Asanath the daughter of Potofera the priest of On. And Joseph went out over all the land and Joseph was 30 years old when he stood before Pharaoh king of Egypt. Then just a little bit further on in verse 50.
And Joseph under Joseph were born two sons, before the years of famine came, which Asanath the daughter of Potiphar, a priest of on bear unto him. And Joseph called the name of the first born Manasseh. For God said, He hath made me forget all my toil, and all my father's house, And the name of the second he called Ephraim. For God hath caused me to be fruitful in the land of my affliction. I just want to point out here.
For everyone of us is an encouragement. God always rewards faith, and Joseph wouldn't reach out and take something that God hadn't given him and God arranged.
To have Joseph presented with a wife when he was 30 years old.
God presented Joseph with a wife, probably the best wife in all of Egypt that could have ever been presented to him. I would just encourage you if you're not married to wait.
Wait, God has a purpose for you? God's heart is for you. His heart is 100% for His people.
Well, let's just look at a few verses of Scripture in the New Testament or in the Old Testament. I'll start in the 119th Psalm.
You might say, well, you know, this is kind of a difficult subject and how am I supposed to keep myself pure? How do we do this? How do we live like Joseph? How do we prevent the snares of the enemy from yielding fruit? How do we escape those snares? Well, it says in 119th Psalm verse nine, it says, wherewithal shall a young man cleanse his way by taking heed thereto, according to thy word.
And then I want to just look at the 140th verse. It says there My word is very pure, therefore thy servant loveth it. Well, I just want to look at 7 things. The first one is the word of God, one of the things that God has given us that might help us to walk in a pure path in the most wicked place in all of God's creation in this world. And God delights in purity.
God delights in purity. God delights to see you with a heart to that delights in holiness. He says be therefore also holy, even as I am holy, and so he delights that in us having pure thoughts. You know the Lord Jesus that speaks of in Ephesians chapter 5. Just hold your place there at the 119th Psalm. I just want to read this because this is the objectives that we ought to have before us.
Ephesians chapter 5 and verse 25 just halfway through.
Christ also loved the church and gave Himself for it. You are the object of love that the Lord Jesus had in an eternity past. But in the present time it says that He might sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of water by the Word. In the present day the Lord is using the Word of God to cleanse and to help you to walk in an upright life, an upright life in a wicked world. And then it says that He might present it to Himself, a glorious church, not having spot or wrinkle or any such thing.
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But that it should be holy and without blemish. Oh no wonderful that when you and I get home to the glory.
He's going to look upon his bride to say that he'll she'll see the fruit of the travail of his soul and he shall be satisfied. He's not going to be one seeing, one spot 1 wrinkle. And perhaps we fail in this scene, perhaps we sin, and perhaps some in this room perhaps even have fallen into fornication. But oh, what a grace.
Grace, great God, we have what a restoring God and a delight that he has to present to himself a bride. All those sins that we've committed in this scene will be erased, gone because of the precious blood of the Lord Jesus. He'll look at us and he'll see a bride that's pure, a pure bride, holy. But here in this Psalm, 119th Psalm, Israel is just coming back into the land.
And the Word of God has captivated their hearts. They want to have the Word of God before them. And it speaks here of having the purity of the Word before them and cleansing ourselves with the Word. How much is the Word of God a part of your life?
There was a survey done years ago. I wish I had the presence of mind to clip out these little tidbits.
But there was a survey done.
Of those that were so-called pastors and ministers in the churches as to how much time they spent in prayer in this in an average day and the average came to less than 5 minutes a day.
How much time did they spend in the Word of God? It was pitiful.
But, beloved brethren.
We're just near the end, we're just about to hear the voice of the Lord calling us home to the glory and all how He loves to see us, to have us in His presence and to hear our voices in prayer. He says in the Song of Solomon, let me see thy countenance, let me hear thy voice all. He wants to hear your voice in prayer. He wants you to spend time in His presence with the Word of God. So that's one of the things that will help us to see things the way we ought to see them.
Well, let's turn to the New Testament first, Timothy.
Chapter One.
Verse 5.
Says now the end of the commandment is charity of a out of a pure heart and a good conscience, and of faith unfeigned.
All the instructions of God in his Word, and how He desires us to have a pure heart, a right motive as we read the word of God, as we have the instructions given to us, and to have a good conscience.
How necessary it is for us to have a good conscience. Is there something that I go on with that is defiling to the conscience? May God give us the grace to recognize that the enemy has a strategy and that is to defile us and to render our lives wrecks. In this scene. May the Lord give us grace to exercise, be exercising His presence, and to have our consciences.
Tender towards himself. You know, Paul could say he delighted. He wanted to have a conscience that was void of offense toward God and men. No wonderful thing to have a clear conscience. It takes so little to give us a bad conscience. But all how Paul wanted Timothy to have a clear conscience and that's one of the things that will help us as we walk in this scene. Well, we looked at Psalm 119, verse 63.
A little earlier, and this is one of the verses of Scripture that is so helpful, has been helpful to me and have been helpful to others.
I am a companion of all them that fear thee. Who are your companions? Who do you go to? Who do you go to visit after your school responsibilities? After your work responsibilities? Who is it that you visit with on the phone? Who is it that you visit with in the home?
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Who is it that you desire to spend time in the presence of? Are those companions them that fear thee and that keep thy precepts? You know what a precept is? It's a divine detail of the Word of God, a divine little detail. God has given us details in the Word of God. It's Isaiah chapter 28. He speaks of those details.
That every little detail in the Word of God is so precious and so necessary. Verse 10.
Precept must be upon precept, precept upon precept, line upon line, line upon line. Here a little, there a little. No, I was saying last week in the home of a brother and he and he just was sharing little tidbits, little things that he enjoyed in the Word of God, little treasures, just little things. One of them was Cordis, a brother in Romans chapter 16.
Cordis a brother, you know the Apostle Paul in that last chapter of Romans chapter 16, he mentions, I think it is 37 different individuals in that chapter. Every one of them was precious to him. Are those your companions?
There's a young lady that went to Europe.
Last year.
And when she was about to go to Europe, she made inquiry at the university as to from one of her friends as to a place where she might stay when she was in a certain city.
And this girl said, well, I have a brother in such and such a place and he has an apartment and I'm sure that you could roll up your sleeping bag and you could go and sleep over there.
And so she went to Europe.
Couple of weeks, Lee.
Just in the past here.
And she said now after this contact, you know, this boy took an interest in her.
And she's going to see her boyfriend in Europe.
The companions that we make.
Beloved young people, the companions that you and I make and keep the companionship, God knows that you need a companion. God knows if you're not married that you delight to have a companion cry to the Lord for help. You know it says that no good thing will he withhold from them that walk uprightly. And the Lord delights to bless in this way.
Don't go out with those that don't know the Lord Jesus as Savior.
God is not going to make an exception for you. God is not going to make an exception for you in His Word.
And she come took what he wanted. He didn't ask anything. He didn't ask any permission.
What a wonderful that the Lord Jesus desires your blessing, desires you to have a happy life and He's desired that we would have the instruction of the word of God to remember that if we keep companionship with those that fear him, that are afraid to displease him. Why there's going to be fruit and will be preserved.
Well, let's look at first John chapter three, another one of those things that we might have before us.
That would have a purifying effect.
Verse One. First John. Chapter 3. Verse one. Behold, what manner of love the Father is bestowed upon us, that we should be called the sons of God. Therefore the world knoweth us not, because it knew him not. Beloved now are we the sons of God, and doth not yet appear what we shall be, but we know that when he shall appear, we shall be like Him, for we shall see him as he is, And every man that has this hope in him purifies himself.
Even as he is pure.
Well, the Lord is bringing before us here in this little passage of Scripture that one of the things that will help us to purify us will be to have the coming of the Lord before us.
Wouldn't it be nice if he came this afternoon?
I'm looking forward to the eternal rest of God. I'm looking forward to seeing the Savior face to face.
I'm looking forward not having to drive down the Interstate and see the filthy billboards advertising casinos that men and women looking to to just get rich quick and to take out and reach out for things that God hasn't given them. I'm looking forward to being in a place where sin can never come.
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I'm looking forward to looking into the face of a man that never sinned.
You have that hope. Is it a present hope? Is it a daily hope to look for the Lord's coming? You know there was an old brother in Hammer Bay. His name is Gerald Jacqueline. He's at home with the Lord now, but I went over to his house and visited one time.
Couple of times I wish I'd gone more often, but you know, I went and visited with them and just sitting in his living room talking had the word of God open and he said, you know what I do every morning? He says, I thank the Lord for a good night's rest and I say good morning, Lord. Oh, I'm so thankful to still be alive. Help me to use the day for the maybe they'll come today.
Maybe they'll come today.
Or what a present hope we ought to have. Well, if we have the coming of the Lord before us, it'll have a purifying effect in our lives. That's what God says. We're going to be physically like him. And that's really brought out in Philippians chapter three. I think it's verses 20 and 21. But here it's morally like Him. We know that when he shall appear, we shall be like Him, for we shall see Him as He is. Every man that has this hope in him purifies himself. All we want to walk in a pure way.
And to be acceptable unto him, don't we? Abraham, you know, wanted to be acceptable to the Lord. And in Genesis chapter, I think it's chapter 14, when the king of Sodom met him, he wouldn't take anything that the king of Sodom had presented to him, would present to him, didn't take anything.
The coming of the Lord. You know, there was a man in Montreal years ago, in the time that Mister McDowell was alive, and my father-in-law went to Montreal.
And they visited. This was in the 20s. And this man got saved.
Took Christ as a savior who was saved out of Roman Catholicism I believe, and the coming of the Lord was so real with them.
That while Mr. Hammer was there in.
Montreal brother came running down the street to brother McDonald's home and he said brother brother. He says brother so and so is starting to take the roof off of his house.
And so the bunch of them that were there in that home, they ran down the street and asked him what he was doing. He says the Lord's coming. I want anything to be in the way. I want to be ready. There was a present hope. While the brethren were very kind, they they helped him put his roof back on.
But beloved brother, is it a present hope? Are you looking? Are you waiting and watching for the coming of the Lord to come?
Would you want him to be see you in a place that you shouldn't be? What do you want to? Would you want him to see you touching something that you shouldn't have your hand on? Oh, the Lord dislikes to have us walk in purity and having the coming of his own coming in mind and view is one of the things that will help us. Well, let's turn to second Peter chapter 3.
Verse one.
His second epistle. Beloved, I now write unto you in both, which I stir up your pure minds.
By way of remembrance, that you may be mindful of the words which were spoken before by the holy prophets, and of the commandment of us, the apostles of the Lord and Savior. Well, this little point is this, and I think we can stir one another up.
We need to stir one another up to remembrance, and Peter was doing that. He didn't want the Saints to get lethargic.
And I think it's so lovely for us to remind one another from day-to-day. The Lord might come today. You know, my father had a text, a gospel text at the front door of his house in 1962 when I was a little boy. And it said this, the coming of the Lord draw nigh. And you don't think it has an effect on the children? Doesn't you don't think it might have an effect on you? It has an effect. The word of God has power.
And I remember that verse to this day. The coming of the Lord draweth nigh in His coming, as assures the dawn.
His coming is as sure as the dawn. Oh how we need to have that before us. But we need to stir one another up our minds. What are we feeding on? You know Philippians chapter, I think it's three brings before us what we should have before our minds.
00:40:06
Philippians chapter 4, verse eight. Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just.
Whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report, if there be any virtue, if there be any praise, think on these things.
Well, I just point this out in connection with First Peter chapter 3 in this stirring up of our pure minds by way of remembrance because some of us wear our feelings on our shirt sleeve.
And dear brethren.
How many young people have we seen fall because we wouldn't open our mouths lest we offend them?
How many older ones perhaps have fallen?
Because someone wouldn't say something and warn them. Let's stir one another up. Let's have pure minds. Let's think about those things that have to do with Christ. He doesn't want us to be occupied with the filth of this world. And I feel this subject is one of the things that that is perhaps such a an exercise is to taking it up is it's difficult to speak about these things and to have the filth perhaps brought before us.
Well, we want to have the purity of Christ brought before us, the purity of the things that he desires us to.
Think of. Let's turn just to.
Isaiah chapter 58.
Verse 13.
Isaiah 58, verse 13.
If thou turn away thy foot from the Sabbath, from doing thy pleasure on my holy day, and call the Sabbath a delight, the holy of the Lord honourable and shall honor him, not doing thine own ways, nor finding thine own pleasure, nor speaking thine own words, Then shalt thou delight thyself in the Lord, and I will cause thee to ride upon the high places of the earth, and to feed thee with the heritage of Jacob thy father. For the mouth of the Lord have spoken it.
Then shalt thou delight thyself in the Lord? Well, you know, this is Speaking of the Sabbath, and we don't keep the Sabbath because we're not under the law.
But we have something that is very precious. We have the liberty to observe the Lord's Day. And I used to as a boy, call it Sunday. And but you know, I delight to call that first day of the week, the Lord's Day, one of the things that will help you and has helped me.
And I trust will help you is to keep the Lord's Day to observe it.
And not in a religious way, not in a legal way. Not to say, you know, I was brought up in a division and that was a legal thing. And some of the brethren weren't allowed to drive their cars on the Lord's day because that was kind of a carnal thing to do. Well, that's not what we're talking about.
Out of a heart of affection for the Lord, would you give him the first day of the week?
He gave everything that He had to purchase you for himself. Would you give him the first week of the 1St day of the week? You know, after you've given him the first day of the week, how much easier it is to give him the second day and the third day. And so he says, thou shalt delight thyself and the Lord, how the Lord delights to have us enjoy His presence. Well, our time is up, and I wanted to sing one verse of 256.
Let's just.
Would you bear with me and sing the whole hymn?
Let's stand up and sing this hymn together.
Oh.
Use our sins. I can write torn sauce before.
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Christmas.
Morning horns us for every trust in heaven and.
Luke 12:1-7
Reading
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What will it be?
The Lord.
*.
Will be at the end of the song.
295 versus 3:00 and 4:00.
And though here on earth rejected tis but fellowship with thee.
Could we not with joy expected here, like thee, our Lord, to be? Thou art worthy.
Val from Earth has set us free. 295 versus 3:00 and 4:00.
Unborn.
Years.
True, true.
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Appreciate it.
Information.
To Luke's Gospel, chapter 12. It has there a few of the things that we ought to be occupied with, and those things that we ought not to be afraid of in the absence of the Lord, and they really are instructions in view of eternity.
That's a very good suggestion, very, very practical. Did you have the whole chapter before your brother Robert?
Fairly diverse 48.
But it.
Maybe we could read to the end of verse 53.
Luke, chapter 12.
In the meantime, when they were gathered together an innumerable multitude of people, in so much that they throwed one upon another, He began to say to his disciples, First of all, beware ye of the leaven of the Pharisees, which is hypocrisy. For there is nothing covered that shall not be revealed, neither hid that shall not be known.
Therefore whatsoever ye have spoken in darkness shall be heard in the light, and that which ye have spoken in the ear in closets, shall be proclaimed upon the housetops. And I say unto you, my friends, be not afraid of them that kill the body, and after that have no more that they can do. But I will forewarn you whom you shall fear. Fear him which after he hath killed, hath power to cast into hell. Yeah, I say unto you, Fear him.
Are not five sparrows sold for two farthings, and not one of them is forgotten before God?
But even the very hairs of your head are all numbered.
Fear not, therefore ye are of more value than many sparrows. Also I say unto you, Whosoever shall confess me before men, him shall the Son of man also confess before the angels of God.
But he that denieth me before men, shall be denied before the angels of God.
And whosoever shall speak a word against the Son of Man, it shall be forgiven him. But unto him that blasphemeth against the Holy Ghost, it shall not be forgiven.
And when they bring you unto the synagogues, and unto magistrates and powers, taking no thought how or what thing you shall answer, or what you shall say.
For the Holy Ghost shall teach you in the same hour what ye ought to say.
And one of the company said unto him, Master, speak to my brother, that he divided the inheritance with me.
And he said unto him, Man, who made me a judge or a divider over you?
And he said unto them, Take heed, and beware of covetousness.
For a man's life consisteth not in the abundance of the things which he possesseth.
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And he speak a parable unto them, saying, The ground of a certain rich man brought forth plentifully. And he thought within himself, saying, What shall I do, because I have no room where to bestow my fruits?
And he said this will I do. I will pull down my barns and build greater.
And there will I bestow all my fruits and my goods, and I will say to my soul, Soul, Thou hast much goods laid up for many years. Take thine ease, eat, drink, and be merry.
But God said unto him, Bow fool, this night thy soul shall be required of thee.
Then who shall those things be which thou has provided the?
So is he that layeth up treasure for himself, and is not rich toward God.
And he said unto his disciples, Therefore I say unto you, Take no thought for your life what ye shall eat, neither for the body what you shall put on. The life is more than meat, and the body is more than raiment.
Consider the Ravens, for they neither sow nor reap, which neither have storehouse nor barn, and God feedeth them.
How much more are ye better than the fowls? And which of you with taking thought, can add to his stature? 1 Cubit.
If he then be not able to do that which is least that thing, which is least why take he thought for the rest?
Consider the lilies, how they grow. They toil not, they spin not. And yet I say unto you, that Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these.
If then God so clothed the grass which is today in the field, and tomorrow is cast into the oven, how much more will he clothe you, O ye of little faith?
And seek not ye that what ye shall eat, or what ye shall drink.
Neither be ye of doubtful mind, for all these things do the nations of the world seek after.
And your father knoweth that you have need of these things.
But rather seek ye the Kingdom of God, and all these things shall be added unto you.
Fear not, little flock, for it is your Father's good pleasure to give you the Kingdom.
Cell that you have and give ohms provide yourselves bags which wax not old, but treasure in the heavens. That faileth not where no thief approaches, neither moth corrupteth. For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.
Let your loins be girded about, and your lights burning, and you yourselves like unto men that wait for their Lord.
When he will return from the wedding, that when he cometh the knocketh, they may open unto him immediately.
Blessed are those servants whom the Lord, when he cometh, shall find watching.
Verily I say unto you, that he shall gird himself, and make them to sit down to meet, and will come forth and serve them. And if he shall come in the second watch, or come in the third watch and find them, so, blessed are those servants. And this know, that if the Goodman of the house had known what hour the thief would come, he would have watched, and not have suffered his house to be broken through.
Be ye therefore ready also, for the Son of Man cometh at an hour when you think not.
Then Peter said unto him, Lord, speakest thou this parable unto us, or even to all?
And the Lord said, Who then is that faithful and wise steward, whom his Lord shall make ruler over his household, to give them their portion of meat in due season?
Blessed it is that servant whom is Lord, when he cometh, shall find so doing. Of a truth I say unto you, that he will make him ruler over all that he hath.
But and if that servant say in his heart, my Lord delayeth his coming, and shall begin to beat the men, servants and maidens, and to eat and drink, and to be drunken, the Lord of that servant will come in a day when he looketh not for him, at an hour when he is not aware. And he will and will cut him in Thunder, and will appoint him his portion with the unbelievers.
And that servant which knew his Lord's will, and prepared not Himself, neither did according to His will, shall be beaten with many stripes. But he that knew not, and did commit things worthy of stripes, shall be beaten with few stripes. For unto whomsoever much is given of Him shall be much required, And to whom men have committed much of him, they will ask the more.
I am come to send fire on the earth, and what will I if it be already kindled?
But I have a baptism to be baptized with, and how am I straightened till it be accomplished?
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Suppose you that I'm come to give peace on the earth. I tell you nay, but rather division.
Or from henceforth there should be 5 in one house divided, 3 against two and two against three. The father shall be divided against the son, and the son against the father, the mother against the daughter, and the daughter against the mother, the mother-in-law against her daughter-in-law, and the daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law.
This chapter could perhaps be divided up into several portions, maybe into 7 little distinct.
Passages that the Lord teaches and so the first one is really from verse one.
Maybe down to verse three, and it has to do with the Lord's desire that we would walk in reality, that there wouldn't be, we wouldn't be characterized by hypocrisy, that there would be actual reality in our walk and then.
So we'd be free from hypocrisy and then from.
Verse, maybe verse four down to verse 12, it's really free from the fear of man. We know that we live in a day and where perhaps persecution is arising and it's taking place in.
In intensity that we perhaps surprises us in some way, but the Lord desired us that we would be free from the fear of man. And then the third passage is really from verse 13 down to verse 21, and it's really in connection with covetousness. And the Lord desired that we would be free from the sin of covetousness that we would be satisfied with the Savior having the Lord as our object in this scene, not those things that the world is.
Going after and then from verse 22 down perhaps to verse 34.
Would be he desired that we would be free from worry and he gives teaching in connection with how we should conduct ourselves and not to worry about those things that we have no influence over and that the Lord knows exactly how to provide for us. And then in verse 35, perhaps down to verse 40, that we wouldn't be careless, that would be free from carelessness that we would be diligent and not just be.
Careless about the time and the age that we live in verse 41 down to verse 48, that we might be occupied and free from sloth and disorderly conduct. Because if we're not really watching for the Lord, not waiting for Him to come, then we might be slothful. We might not be conducting ourselves in view of His coming, not occupied in the work that He's given us to do some little work. And then from verse 49.
Down to verse 57, particularly that we might not be surprised, that we might be free from the surprise of the rejection, that the world would reject us and that there would be spiritual conflict. So we when we have spiritual conflict, we ought not to be surprised. It's normal for a Christian to experience conflict with this world because the world is an enmity with Christ and the world is an enmity with the believer. And if we walk.
In presence of the Lord, why we're going to suffer some of that reproach that he suffered.
We know that the Lord Jesus spoke this to his disciples.
But as I have repeated, and it's worth repeating again, our brother Clarence Lundeen used to remind us that Lukes Gospel is the introduction to Pauls ministry more than any of the other three gospels. And so there is much in Luke's gospel that leads on into the book of the Acts, which of course the Spirit of God also used Luke to write, and eventually of course leads into Paul's ministry. And So what we have here is in one sense.
Good for all time. It's good for those, or it was good for those to whom the Lord Jesus spoke.
But it is good for you and for me in this present day in the practical Christian walk that we have, because as has been brought out, there are dangers on every side, and the same dangers that tend to be set. Those in the world are very apartment to be set, the Saints of God, aren't they? And so there are warnings given here, but again, not merely warnings, not merely that which would be for our consciences, but also that which would the Spirit of God would turn our hearts toward in the positive way.
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In order to occupy us with something far better.
If we were to notice the preceding chapter, we find that at the end of the preceding chapter, the Lord Jesus has pronounced woe on the Pharisees, those who took responsibility for the shepherding and the leadership of God's people in a spiritual way. And when we see what had taken place and the strong words that the Lord Jesus had to use in connection with the Pharisees, we might say, well, is there any comfort or encouragement to go on?
In a situation like that, but having pointed out the failure that had come in amongst those who took the oversight of Sod and Moses seed and supposedly took the oversight for the well-being of God's people, he then turns to the disciples and it's just as if he says you can go on. There is comfort and strength to go on. Don't look at those who have been in a place of responsibility and leadership.
And just throw up your hands. And as the old expression was to hang crate just to give up. No, he says, there's provision, full provision for those of my own to go on even in times like this. And brethren, isn't that a comfort for the day in which we live? We might look around. There's been a lot of failure in every sphere and circle of life and those that God has raised up in places of responsibility.
Not only in the world, in leadership, in the world, in the secular world, the political world, but amongst the people of God and in the Church of God that has become a great house in the day in which we live according to Second Timothy and so on. We might too wonder, can we really go on? But what he's really saying to the disciples is not only can you go on for me amidst all this failure and ruin, but you can go on for my glory with a good conscience.
As we heard earlier this afternoon, with a pure heart, you don't have to compromise, you don't have to be afraid. And so, as he says in Second Timothy, in days very parallel to the days in which we live, he hasn't given us the spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind. And if we take up this chapter, as been said, not just a word to our conscience, but an encouragement to go on with the resources that we have.
In the day in which we live, then brother and I believe it will be for our profit and encouragement.
So when we read that first verse.
In.
He began to say unto his disciples, first of all.
Beware after 11 months of Pharisees, which is hypocrisy. Now I like to read it like this.
He began to say to his disciples, Comma.
First of all, maybe after 11 OPS of Pharisees, which is hypocrisy. So what is 11 of the Pharisees he speaks for and what does he mean by their hypocrisy? Do we have a lot of that today among teachers?
In Christian circles, we have that kind of thing going on.
I suppose there has always been the tendency among man to.
To pretend to be what he is not, hasn't there.
And the pride of our hearts, if we could say it this way, always tends to put on a good front.
While keeping under wraps that which is most undesirable.
So unhappily, that has been the history of this world, sad to say, not only among unbelievers, but even among those who know the Lord.
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And it has been a very, very difficult thing because, as you say, Brother Eckert, there have been times lately when things have come out in the lives of sometimes prominent individuals that have been a tremendous shame to the Christian testimony. And much has gone on under the table that, when it was revealed, caused a tremendous amount of embarrassment. Well, the Lord is saying here that hypocrisy is serious because there is one that knows all about it.
And there is one that is not only knowledgeable about it, but is able to bring it to light. And that's rather solemn, isn't it? Things are going to come to light. They may come to light in this life. God may see fit to do it. But even if they don't.
There's a day coming when God will bring, as it says in another scripture, bring to light the hidden things of darkness. That's first, First Corinthians 4. And so it's a very solemn thing to pretend in the sight of God, isn't it? And that's the warning I suggest that we get here.
It's 11 isn't it? And 11 Corrupts.
And I, my own heart, brother, and I have to confess the tendency toward it. And I think it is because we live in a culture that is so humanistic, focused on man, focused on what we are, We can even want to be a person looked up to amongst the brethren. That's hypocrisy. And oh brother, and it's in our hearts and.
We need to confess it to the Lord and ask Him to help us to deal with it, because as soon as we look at man, who are the brethren that are here, They're going to help us in the ministry of the Word. Brethren, aren't our eyes to be on the Lord Jesus? Isn't He the head that gives?
And I find that when we start looking at brethren, we cease to look at the Lord in the glory. I've been amazed, brethren.
In Latin America who have perhaps you might say no outstanding gift, but when there is a simplicity of looking to the Lord in their conferences, how the Lord opens the scriptures and there is food for all, it's evident the joy that and the edification that results. And there is a tendency because we live in this humanistic culture.
To focus in on brethren, we thank God for our brethren. We thank God for the gifts He's given. But brother, we don't thank the gifts, we thank the giver of the gifts. And we need to pray for one another that we won't get inflated because if we do, we're going to hinder the work of the Spirit of God in our midst.
Picture of sin, isn't it? And here it's hypocrisy in God. The Son of God calls it sin. It's hypocrisy. And it was particularly characteristic of those that were Pharisees. That is our brother Jim said took apart a place of leadership among God's people. And so it's a wicked thing. And they pretended they lived 2 lives, one life they lived publicly and one life they lived privately. And he was exposing the reality of what they were really going on with.
And so leaven is, as we know, a culture and it grows under ideal conditions and a loaf of bread rises and so on. And then when it goes into the oven, it's fired and it's done away with. But in this connection, we need to recognize that it's sin. Let's not call it anything but sin. Then there's some other hypocrisies or leavens that the Lord speaks of. He speaks at 11 of the Sadducees. And that was really.
In connection with rationalism, it says in Acts chapter 23.
In verse eight that the Sadducees say that there is no resurrection, neither Angel nor spirit, but the Pharisees confess both. So there was a Pharisee, there was 11 of the Pharisees and now we have the 11 of the Sadducees. And it's rationalism. It's the mind taking up with the things of God and it doesn't produce fruit for God. It's sin. And then they there's another leaven that's spoken of in the New Testament that the Lord speaks of and it's of the Herodians. And they were really materialistic and they sold out the principles of righteousness.
To make a buck. And so oftentimes I believe the those that were tax collectors, those that were the publicans were Herodians. They sold out the principles of the nation and in some way were enriching themselves. So all three are elevens and we need to be wary of. But isn't it instructive that this is the very first thing that he brings before his disciples? He was going to go away. He they were going to be left. And this is a very serious thing.
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The very first thing that he wants them to be free from.
For the young people that are here, perhaps hypocrisy as a big word and they don't understand it, but.
Matthew 23 and verse three. I could start with verse 2.
Saying the scribes and the Pharisees sit in Moses seat all Therefore, whatever they did, you observe that observe and do.
But do not after their works for they say and do not.
Very simply for they.
And do not.
That's hypocrisy.
One of the world history that's seen here in the what the Lord Jesus is doing is connected with the fact that he had come to earth and he had been among those who were responsible in Israel to represent God, those who had taken that place of responsibility. And in the previous chapter he has to condemn them because of what they had become.
It it wasn't that they didn't know things if you look in the previous chapter in the uh.
Verse 35, it says take heed therefore, and he's speaking to them that the light.
Which is in thee be not darkness. They had received light from God, and they had the responsibility to present that to the God's people.
In the land, but they had failed in it, and He condemns them. He Himself had taken that place while He was there. But this chapter that we have before us, He's preparing His disciples to serve Him when He is absent. And so He brings before them those things that are necessary for them to properly serve Him and take up on His behalf the responsibilities.
That these who had failed had previously had. And so he has to begin first by presenting those things to them in their own moral lives that would fit them for the service that they were responsible to carry out for him, as saying later in the chapter. And so it is with us, brethren, we to apply it to ourselves. We are God's responsible people, we who profess the name of the Lord Jesus Christ.
On this earth today are God's responsible people to present the light of God.
To one another and to our fellow man. And if we fulfill that responsibility, it begins with our own personal, individual moral character. And so he warns them from the very beginning. Don't be like those who were brought, like the ones before you.
They were hypocrites, are hypocrites, and you need to be sure in the very beginning that you don't enter into that same thing where you have light in you.
But you don't live it, you don't walk it. You might be able to preach it, but you're not living it. And if you're not living it, then the motivation of what you preach is going to be your own glory or something else, and you will become a worse hypocrite. And so I just say that so that we can make application of this chapter to our own lives today, because we also are the disciples here in our day that the Lord prepared in his own day.
But we are those who have this responsibility in our generation.
One thing brother Clarence Levine said. I don't know when or where I heard it, but I just remember hearing it.
That's been the biggest help to me in this chapter was he just said this chapter is present actions in the light of eternity. And when I read through this chapter, I just try and remind myself of that little statement over and over. Present actions and the light of eternity and how much that we might do presently and hypocrisy stands right at the top looks so foolish if we think of it in the light of eternity when everything will come out into the light.
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And be open.
And so.
In connection with that, as Brother Bill said, everything is going to be brought in to review in a coming day in the believers life. It's not going to be a question of our sins or our entrance into heaven. In fact, when things are brought into review and brought to light at the judgment seat of Christ, we're already in heaven. It's brought to review because we are there. But it does speak in John's ministry of being ashamed before him at his coming. And I know this is kind of an earthy little way to put it, but.
Roberts father-in-law used to say to me when we were traveling together in the islands. He said, you know, Jimmy said, I think there's going to be a lot of red faces that the judgment seat of Christ and I I know what he he meant or I think I understood what he meant. Now, as I say, I know that's a human earthy way of putting it, but brethren, it ought to exercise our hearts because everything we may cover up things down here and there may be things that are never exposed.
Down here that we leave this world successfully hiding from our fellow man and from our brethren, even from our families. But everything is going to be brought to light in his presence in a coming day. There's a nice little prayer of David's in the 143rd Psalm, the end of verse 10. He says, lead me in the land of uprightness. Not a nice prayer for all of us.
To seek every day.
To be upright, whether it's in our dealings with our families, whether it's in our business dealings, whether it's in the assembly, whether it's in our service for Christ to be. Because again, to be upright is simply not to pretend to be something we aren't. And it is the tendency of all our hearts, I think every one of us have to bow our heads and recognize that we have that tendency to cover up.
To and the Pharisees had gone to the extreme. They were living a very impious life.
They were hiding behind those cloaks and those phylacteries and those outward things and the reading of scripture and standing up in the synagogue and long prayers in the marketplace. Just read Matthew chapter 6 and you'll see the Lord exposes it again there. But underneath they couldn't hide it from the Lord and you and I. And again, this is not simply a word to the unbeliever. It's solemn to pretend to be a believer when we're not real. But.
I suggest it's just a solemn brethren to as believers put on a front and pretend to be something that we're not. And if he doesn't expose it down here, it will be exposed. And do we want to be ashamed at his coming? Do we want to have a red face at the judgment seat of Christ? Or are we going to give him the joy of being able to say well done and to bring out those things that are commendable?
And for his glory.
That means the gym that we're going to have to admit at times we've been wrong.
And I must say, brother, I remember in my youth asking an older brother a question and instead of trying to act like he knew the answer, he said to me, I don't know, but I'll try to get back to you on that. You know, he's willing to admit that he didn't know really helped me and increased my appreciation of that brethren.
Let's be real, brethren. There's so much that we don't know. Let's be real with God. Let's be real with our brethren too. Let's not act like we know everything and when we don't know it.
There's another aspect about it too, and that is.
There's what we think, there's what we say, and there's what we do. Satan doesn't know directly what we think, but he knows what we say and he knows what we do. And it's not hidden from him. It may be hidden from other people, but it's not hidden from Satan. And Satan uses it to make a coward and a hypocrite. He takes and puts, if he can, circumstances in the way that will make a person try into that circumstance where they try to hide.
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That which they know is not of God in their life, and so he makes use of it. And consequently that allowing hypocrisy is a tool is an opportunity for Satan to hinder the lock and the service. And as he gets into the next point about being not afraid, fear often comes when there is not internally on the loins girt about with truth.
As we have in Ephesians 6, but that's the starting point of the armor of God against Satan is having the loins gird about with truth. And if there is that girding of truth in the soul, then the Lord uses it to take away the fear of Satan and making hit the Lord Jesus known in service. But if the Satan knows something and and the person is has the conscience of its being present.
Then it makes him afraid lest he be uncovered. So it's important for us to everything will work right if we live transparently with God, if we can live righteously and with a clear conscience with before God's eye, then we will be OK before Satan and our brethren, and we will be given liberty or boldness and opportunity and speaking to our fellow man.
Just something else before we pass on from this too. We said that these things apply to all of us, and certainly that is true.
But it is interesting, isn't it, that he had been speaking to, first of all, to the Pharisees, those that were in a special place of responsibility. And the reason he had spoken to them so harshly, so to speak, was because they were in a place of responsibility. And the more the responsibility that God gives, the more the the Lord is going to hold a person accountable. And then he turns to the disciples.
And it's been said the disciples were going to be given a special place of rest. They had a special place of responsibility, and they were going to be given that. And we see in the book of the Acts that they were raised up in a special place of leadership and responsibility in connection with the early assembly and the testimony and so on. Because we're all responsible brethren, but there are those that are more responsible and the more position God gives a person as to leadership.
Ability and gift amongst the Lord's people the more accountable and responsible.
They're going to be held in the end. And I want to, I say that because what I simply want to point out is that in the epistles, those that were raised up and given a place of leadership for the shepherding and spiritual oversight of the people of God. They're called Bishop, they're called bishops, elders, shepherds, different terms used. It's interesting that God ordained that those who took that local oversight.
Were to have two things a wife and not a child, but children plural. Isn't that interesting because you know you can come to meeting and you can be a lot of things in front of your brethren, but your wife and children know you like nobody else. And I've wondered if part of the reason that God ordained that those who took responsibility and still today take responsibility because there are those.
But still have that position that God has given of leadership amongst the people of God.
And I've wondered if one of the reasons at least that God has ordained it that way is that it is a check on hypocrisy. You know, many of us, I'm sure, can attest to the fact that after a meeting and something we've said, we've got in the car to go home. And either our wife or our children, one of our children has been a check, has said something that has made us realize that we said something that we weren't, we hadn't really been carrying out practically.
In our lives, and you notice it's not a child, as I say, but children, because one child doesn't give the balance.
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I only had two children, but they were both very different and in that sense they were a very different check on the very thing that we are speaking about. Going to repeat a little story. It'll make you smile, but it'll illustrate my point. Remember years ago we were visiting in Delavan, IL and I had been talking about the sincere milk of the word in a reading meeting one evening, I think it was, and we were at Brother Art Swansea's and the next morning.
I had my wife and children with me and the next morning's sister Elaine said to me, Jim, would you like some milk? And I said, sister, I really don't care for milk. And my five year old looked across the table at me and said, Dad, why do you tell us in meeting that milk is so important and you don't drink it yourself? Well, we smile at that. But you know, it made me realize that our children are listening and they're listening to see if we're going to carry out.
What we have said in front of the people of God, in our lives, in the family circle and in our personal lives. And so it's a good check on us and those who take responsibility in the assembly. There's many here. Be thankful for a wife and a children that are a check on you. Listen to what they say and it will help to keep you from hypocrisy.
He speaks about his friends. Verse four. He speaks to his friends. I say unto you, my friends.
Be not afraid of them that kill the body, and after that have no more that they can do. Now he speaks. He addresses now those as his friends.
That are afraid of them, that killed the body.
So what he is saying, we are to be bold, to speak out the truth, and if we do, we are his friends.
Because the Lord Jesus wasn't going to be afraid of dying. He knew it all the time.
And if we speak out at somebody whom we know might be able to hurt us in some way and we don't say it.
Then.
We are really not his friends. I remember in Germany I was living there as a boy.
Anybody who said anything in favor of the Jews was immediately picked up.
But there was at the funeral of whether it was at any other time, that's the way it was. And there were brethren. They were not afraid. They were speaking right out, and many got picked up.
Contrast things here in verse four, those that can kill the body.
And then in verse five, fear him after he hath power to cast into hell. Yeah, I send you fear him we all.
Can live before the eye of man or before the eye of God.
And he's saying you live before the eye of God.
You give God His proper reverential place, and if God is given His place, then you can be bold before men, but if you live before the eye of man, you will accommodate man and you will tend to fear him. And so if we have a higher motivation in life to live our lives transparently, can I, can I really successfully be a hypocrite with God?
Impossible. It's impossible to be. I might be hypocritical, but I'm only deceiving myself.
I'm not deceiving God by hypocrisy. And so we are taught to live before the eye of God in a way that our relationship with our God is right and before his eye, our conscience has to be exercised. And if he says I, my son, is to be the object of your heart, then our hearts are engaged in it as well. And if the Lord Jesus has the affections of my heart in God's eye upon me keeps my conscience.
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In exercise properly.
And if I live each morning, each day, each afternoon with my God, then things will take the right place with my fellow man, whether it's my brethren or it's somebody at work or somewhere else. But the Pharisees had lived. They had, they had life from God, but they weren't living for the eye of God. And as a consequence, they live for the eye of man and their own and for their own eye, their own glory.
Instead of the glory that should have gone to the Lord. And in some ways they feared Him.
They feared, they feared the people. Are the people going to? Am I going to lose my popularity?
And so on. You know, you can apply it easily in the politics of the United States. If you want to know who a politician fears, it's going to be his constituency because they're the ones that are going to maintain him in his place or he's going to lose it if he doesn't satisfy them. And so he does that which he thinks will present himself to them in a way that will satisfy them and regardless of what he may be within himself.
But, and many A1 has been exposed as to not being what they, their constituents thought they were, and that's the end of them. So it's important for us as God's representative to our fellow men to first of all fear God.
And that is the reverential respect.
That he should have of every action and every thought of our lives.
Elijah, don't you?
When he stands before Ahab, he says, As the Lord God of Israel liveth before whom I stand, there shall not be, do, nor reign these years, but according to my word.
Quite strong. Where did he get that strength? Because he stood.
In the presence of the Lord God of Israel, but then later on, after he had such a tremendous victory on Mount Carmel, Jezebel threatens his life.
And he runs like a scared dog.
It shows brethren that we need to constantly live in the presence of God, and it's nice to be with our brethren together, but we need time alone with God. If there's not that time alone with God, we'll lose our power to focus properly, to see things properly like you've been mentioned and done.
Could I ask?
For something to be brought out and a pick on my brother-in-law Dawn Rule because he brought it out very well some years ago.
Enlarge a little on the thought that.
Fear in our hearts is generally the product of what is unjudged in our hearts.
Because I believe that ties together both the thought of not being afraid and it also bears on the issue of hypocrisy. Is that unfair, Don?
First John, chapter 4.
First John, chapter 4.
And.
For 16 We have known and believed the love that God hath to us. God is love, and he that dwelleth in love dwelleth in God, and God in him.
Herein is our law of made perfect that we may have boldness in the day of judgment.
Because as he is, so are we in this world.
Here's the verse. There is No Fear in love, but perfect love casteth out fear, because fear hath torment. He that feareth is not made perfect in love. I don't think I can repeat. Bill may have to repeat the comments previously made, but I'll make comments on these verses here.
It is the desire of God.
To communicate to us and put in.
Is love God is the source of all love and he has given us a nature that can receive from himself that love in US and.
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If that love is active, practically at work in our souls, that love cannot.
Fear cannot coexist with it. You can't have both of them together. God doesn't fear.
God in His own being is not a fearful being in any sense of the word, and the motivation of His own behavior is His own love. And as a consequence He wants us to receive from Himself that in our hearts, which this love of God spread abroad in our hearts, and if it is there in a full measure, it casts out fear.
And as such, we are enabled to walk without fear because we walk in the same character of our God. We are reflection of Himself in that way. But if there's something allowed in our lives which is not consistent with Himself, then His love is not free to flow. And that's what gives us our difficulties if I allow something in my life.
That is not consistent with God. God is until that is judged, He is not free to have his love.
Flow into my heart and through my life because of that which is inconsistent with Himself and His love. The purity God can't give fellowship with himself with impurity is that we had in the address. It has to be a conscience void of offence before God. But if it is, then, as as John puts it here, in the very nature of the thing, then that love flowing in us.
Is casts out fear and we can walk without fear.
But I'll make one other comment, which may have to do with what Bill was saying.
One of the sources of fear is if you've ever done something.
You will fear that somebody will do it to you.
I ask kids very frequently in a detention center. Do you think people lie? Yes, I said. Do you think I've lied? Yes. Why do you think so?
Well, everybody lies, I say. That may be true, but the reason you think so is because you've lied.
And because you've lied, you think I may lie. That's the reason why, Cain.
Was fearful for his own life after he murdered his brother Abel, because after he murdered Abel, it entered into his fears that, oh, somebody might murder me. But when there is a heart full of love, it doesn't get occupied that way. It doesn't worry about somebody murdering me because that heart is not filled with the sense of murder. Yes, it's capable of it. That isn't the point, though. The point is when the love of God is shred abroad in the heart.
Those things that the natural man would fear because he's done them, he's delivered from those fears of someone lying to him, of someone murdering him, of someone breaking into his house and stealing all his property and so on. He is free from that because love believes all things.
Well, that's exactly what I was hoping you would say, Dawn and I believe it has an application here because.
As it says in verse four, be not afraid of them that kill the body.
We know there was only one that walked through this world without fear.
There was only one thing, if we could say it with all reverence, that the Lord Jesus feared, and that was being made sin.
He was heard, it says, in Hebrews 5, and that he feared.
But in everything else, he never courted the favor of man, nor did he ever seek to.
Say something in order to avoid consequences that otherwise might have come. He spoke the truth clearly and definitely because there was No Fear in his heart. None of us would want to stand up and say that we are free from that totally. Nor would anyone of us want to stand up and say I am never a hypocrite because I suppose every one of us would admit that there are times when we talk.
01:00:00
Beyond our walk.
Of the Lord, if we could say it as an encouragement, has ways, even if we are not conscious perhaps of a bit of hypocrisy, He has ways of taking us up on what we have said.
And allowing circumstances to make us realize.
Where we really are.
And then we can react in one of two ways. I can either say my, Oh my, I better take good care that nobody ever finds out about that, that nobody ever realizes that I'm capable of that, that nobody ever realizes that I did a thing like that.
Or I can bow my head and say Lord.
That is what I am in my old sinful self.
But I am thankful that I am dead and risen with Christ.
I admit fully how bad I am by nature, but I thank the Lord for new life in Christ and say Lord.
Let me have more grace to let that new life shine.
And so I can be, if I can say it, and we don't want to belabor the point, I can be a hypocrite, maybe even sometimes inadvertently. But the Lord has ways of allowing circumstances to bring all that out. And as Dawn was saying, to bring me to the point of judging, if necessary, something that I've allowed in my life that has interrupted the flow of His love.
And thus has produced a fear.
And when I have judged it, then I find that once again. And I think that was a good point. You brought out, Brother Bob, about Elijah.
When he was walking with the Lord, he could stand up to Ahab and.
Say it quietly and yet dispassionately before the Lord, when he was away from the Lord.
As you say, he ran like a dog.
What a difference.
One more word might be helpful, a common verse, but to apply it to our chapter and hip or hypocrisy first John chapter one.
And verse 9.
First, John 19 If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins.
And to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.
The cleansing us from all unrighteousness includes the keeping us from hypocrisy.
What happens is if there is something unconfessed.
In my life, then I will try to arrange things and make sure things work in such a way that I don't get faced with that which I'm hiding.
And haven't confessed but the path to be delivered from hypocrisy. And that is it's unrighteousness because it isn't necessarily an act specifically of sin, but it's rather a way of walk that keeps me from the circumstances the best I can control them of that which might expose.
That which is not judged and the only way before God is.
To confess it.
And then because the work of Christ on the cross is taken care of the sin, then my relationship with God, my communion, may be restored, and God then may work with me so that I am cleansed from all unrighteousness. For that pattern of life which works to hide or avoid, if you will, if not hide, avoid that which might expose something. And so this verse is in first. John 19 is directly related to being delivered.
From hypocrisy.
God, don't we? And in John's Gospel chapter 3, the Lord spoke and said in verse 20, Everyone that doeth evil hateth the light, neither cometh to the light, lest his deed should be reproved. But he that doeth truth cometh to the light, and that his deeds may be made manifest that they are wrought in God. And so the light to a Sinner is a terror, but to the believer it brings comfort.
And brings peace because he walks in the truth. And so this is really a part of what the Lord is saying and connection with verse three. It's an encouragement to those that do walk in light. Those things that are done in hypocrisy that perhaps are a harm to us and that we've suffered under will one day be brought to light. And we don't need to try to fix it in the present time, but it is a comfort to us. And then there may be persecution and he says don't be afraid. Be not afraid of them that kill the body in verse 4.
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But then there's a little bit of an encouragement in verse seven. Fear not. Therefore, ye are of more value than many sparrows. Isn't it wonderful the Lord is caring for us through all those circumstances? And this dear young girl that was persecuted and beaten, why the Lord is caring for, and she no doubt has a sense of the presence of the Lord that neither you or I feel at the present time.
I think that's very helpful because we can sit here this afternoon with the doors and windows open. We sing hymns. We're not afraid of having our Bibles open and having the authorities bust down the door and coming in and arresting us or shooting some of us, carrying us off to prison and persecuting us for our testimony. But you know, there are many of our brethren who are really put to the test in this regard, who really understand that when they stand up for Christ or give a testimony.
There are those that want to kill them, physically kill them, and that would be a real test. I've never been put in that test. And so most of us have not yet resisted unto blood. We've never been in that circumstance. But what if we were? Now I was thinking of the three Hebrew children, you know, the king there in connection with them not bowing down to the image. Not only did he not have, did he have the power of life and death, but it tells us in his.
Rage and in his fury.
He was an angry king. He was pretty upset that those three men wouldn't bow down as they had been instructed to do. But did they fear the king? Did they fear the one that could kill the body? No. They were willing to stand up for what they knew was the truth of God, to maintain a pure and a good conscience before God, even if it meant being cast into the fire. And you and I read the story with confidence, and we know the end of the story.
And so we read it with confidence, but they didn't know the end of the story. They said that our God is able to deliver us. They didn't say He would. They said He is able, and no matter what happens, He will deliver us out of your hand, O King. So they didn't know when they went into the furnace if they would be delivered from the hand of the king through the furnace, or if they would be delivered in death in the furnace. But they were willing. They were not afraid of the wrath of the king.
It says of Moses too, that when he came to years, he forsook Egypt not fearing the wrath of the king. Moses knew what he believed, and why could he not fear the wrath of the king and forsake Egypt? The next statement says he endured as seeing him who is invisible. Near the beginning of this meeting we spoke of living in the light of eternity. That's what Moses did. Why could did he? Could he go in and stand before Pharaoh?
Why did he not fear the wrath of the king? Because he was living in view of another day. And brethren, if you and I live in view of another day, that's going to keep us from fear, our brethren that are going into death as martyrs today. You say, how could they do it? How can they do it? Well, there's a number of things. Of course, God gives the grace and the strength for the moment, but they're living in light of eternity. They know there's another world, and yes, they know there's one who can kill the body, but they know.
That they have something better of it says of whom the world is not is not worthy, but we all whether we're suffering in that way or whether it's the reproach that we may suffer or the fear of man in any aspect. Brethren, if we live in the light of eternity with a good conscience before God and man, then we will not have fear just one. I know our time is gone. Just one more statement in that regard. We quoted earlier the verse in first and second Timothy chapter one about he's not given us the spirit of fear.
But it is interesting in connection with what Dawn said, that two or three verses before that Paul speaks of living in a with a pure conscience before God and man. Why could Paul not have fear even in the face of going into martyrdom? He knew he was going to be martyred at that point, for his testimony speaks of it in that very epistle. Why could he encourage to have No Fear in view of that? He had lived with a good conscience. He had judged sin in his life, and as we've often heard, kept short accounts with God.
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And that gave him full confidence even in the presence of his enemies. Fear God is.
To deliver us from the fear of man and the devil and all the hosts of hell.
242.
All right, so.
Faith, Hope, Love - the Springs of Everyday Christian Life
Address—Don Rule
DISCLAIMER: The following has been auto-transcribed. We hope it will help you to find the section of this audio file you are looking for.
185 We have a home above.
From all defilement free a mansion which eternal love prepared.
Our rests to be.
The Father's gracious hand has built that blessed abode from everlasting. It was planned, the dwelling place of God.
The Savior's precious blood has made our title sure. He passed through death's dark, raging flood.
To make our rest secure.
Verse five. Thy love, most gracious Lord, our joy and strength shall be, till thou should speak the gladdening word that bids us rise to thee.
Just make a comment of something that I was convicted of this morning and the.
Prayer meeting We sang 3 hymns and.
We were seeing in the second hymn and.
Yep, properly turned on in my soul that I was speaking the words at least directly to the Lord Jesus.
And I was not consciously communicating directly to the Lord Jesus. Rather, I was singing a song.
It's I want to point out to you that in verse five, when you sing it, you are speaking directly to the Lord Jesus. Hopefully we will do it consciously.
#185.
Anything on that?
Real.
00:05:34
With me please to 1St Thessalonians chapter one.
Recession, chapter one.
And verse 2.
We give thanks to God always for you all, making mention of you and our prayers.
Remembering without ceasing your work of faith.
And labor of love and patience of hope.
In our Lord Jesus Christ, in the sight of God and our Father.
Now Revelation Chapter 2.
Revelation chapter 2 and verse 2.
I know thy works and thy labor.
And thy patience.
First Corinthians, chapter 13.
First Corinthians chapter 13 and verse 13.
And now abide. But faith, hope, charity or love?
These three. But the greatest of these is love.
Now turn back with me to 1St Thessalonians Chapter one.
God has chosen to.
Communicate to us through his vessels.
And I'm thinking particularly at the moment of the New Testament writers, the apostles mainly.
In ways that have a line of thought or truth connected with the servant that communicates it in the case of the Apostle John.
It is through his gospel, through his epistles, through his revelation, that we have particularly brought before us the character of God as light and love.
Communicated to his creature by giving him eternal life.
And the character of that life of God. So we have life and light and love running through John's epistles, the apostle Paul, we find if we go through his what the Lord gave him to give to us, we find faith, hope, and love.
Are characteristic of John's epistles, and I would like to at least introduce.
That thought in a few of the places where it's brought before us as well. It's found in Jude, it's found in Peter, It is found consistently. Also, it can be found in John's epistles as well. But it's particularly given to the apostle Paul to bring before us those three things. Light, I'm sorry.
What we have here in First Thessalonians Chapter One faith.
And hope and love, or faith and love and hope.
Faith.
Love and hope.
Are the springs of everyday Christian life.
These believers were newborn when this epistle, this letter was written to them. They may only have been believers for a matter of weeks, and so in the very beginning of their Christian life.
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There was presented to them that which came from the working of God in their souls, in faith and hope and love.
And those three things animate our Christian lives. The.
They are to be the everyday spring.
Bubbling up and flowing out in our lives. Faith.
Hope and love.
And I would just say right at the beginning, and perhaps part of the reason that the Lord has enabled me to think about it and enjoy it recent times is I have come to see that when a person is depressed or cast down.
Inevitably, one or more of those three things is missing in their everyday life. And I would say to you this afternoon.
If you find yourself depressed or cast down.
Or some way overwhelmed with trials in your life. The Lord would strengthen you and provide for you in the area of faith and hope and love.
We find it brought initially before us here in the third verse that we already read. Remembering without ceasing your work of faith and labor of love and patience of hope in our Lord Jesus Christ, in the sight of God and our Father. This was written to Christians in contrast to Judaism, because you don't have those three things characterizing Judaism.
Judaism, that had been properly the religion of God's people on earth prior to Christianity, did not bring these three things as the characteristics of life in them.
For example, the Jew didn't have to it when things were properly before God, until he had to step in in his governmental ways. They could live by sight. They didn't have to live in hope of something.
A Jew could righteously and properly live before God in the present and in connection with the earth.
What he had faith in was particularly faith in what was seen in contrast to faith in what was not seen.
But your life and mine is different.
The Christian life is a life that has faith in the unseen.
When Thomas saw the Lord Jesus and resurrection, he said he wouldn't believe unless he saw him. And he's Speaking of the future of the Jewish remnant that that he represented. And the Lord said to him, OK, you've seen and now you believe. But blessed are they which have not seen and yet have believed. And so every one of us who have embraced Christianity have embraced it as having faith in that which we can't see. It's an unseen.
World in contrast to a scene world.
The Jew had present hope in things that if he was faithful and obedient to the rules.
He was to prosper.
In his life in a natural way.
Christianity because it connects itself with what is what unseen.
Presents to us hopes.
That are beyond the present and beyond our sight.
And God calls us to live our daily life.
In the living reality of the hope.
In the living reality.
Of that faith which lays hold of God in that which is not seen.
Love.
God's a source of it, and even in Judaism the emphasis wasn't really on love. It's true that love would fulfill the law perfectly, love of God and love of man, and it was brought out as the principles on which the Law was built. But nonetheless, the real requirement of the Jew was righteousness.
But Christianity that has been brought to us takes us beyond that to something better, and it takes us into that relationship with God, which is the fellowship of love and between ourselves and God. Here were new believers in the Lord Jesus Christ, and what does it say about them there? And this is remembering without ceasing. Paul says they'd only been, he'd only been with them a few weeks.
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And because of persecution, he had to leave. But what did he see in them in that short span of their Christian lives he saw in them?
A work of faith, a labor of love, and a patience of hope.
What was it? Well, I believe, at least in part, if you turn down to.
Verse 9 For they themselves show unto us what mannering of in we had unto you.
Here's the work of faith. You turn to God from idols.
The labor of love to serve the living and true God.
And the patience of hope, and to wait for his Son from heaven.
Those are the springs of your life.
Those are the things that.
Characterize or should characterize the activity of your life.
A faith that acts in daily life, in a relationship with God beyond the scene.
A love that would cause you to labor in your daily life.
In view.
Of your relationship with the one before whose eye you live.
And no matter what the trial, no matter what the circumstance, the difficulty of life, God has put before you something that is outside of it, to sustain it, to animate it, to give confidence in it that you can keep going to the end. And so there is that hope.
That is the possession to be enjoyed every day. Can anything happen to you today?
That must disconnect you from that relationship of faith.
Is there any circumstance in this world that is capable that beyond your control to separate you from God?
I say none.
Is there anything that could possibly happen to you that would of necessity separate you from His love?
Impossible.
It's impossible. Is there anything that could possibly happen?
In your life today, that would separate you from the hope.
That God has given you.
Nothing. Nothing. It depends totally upon the power of God to realize the hope that He's given you to live by, and there's absolutely nothing that can take it away from you.
We may lose the enjoyment of it, but I'm speaking about the circumstances or the trials of life that would disconnect us from it, that we couldn't live it, that we would have to say, well, yesterday I could live in the enjoyment and in the truth of my faith, my hope, and my love. But not today. No, not today, because look what happened. Nothing, brethren. And so it says in First Corinthians chapter 13.
These things abide. These things abide. Faith now abideth faith.
Hope and love, there is nothing that.
From now, from the day it was uttered, from the apostles day until the rapture, there is absolutely nothing that is going to take them away and is going to take them away from you individually.
And the privilege of walking with God in faith and hope and love nothing. They will abide, and they abide for you, and they abide for me all the way to the end.
But it's an exercise to live them because you notice, and many have noticed it before, when you get to the Church of Ephesus, which was the first assembly addressed of the seven churches in Revelation chapter 2.
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You have the the work, you have the labor, you have the patience, but that which should animate and characterize them as missing.
The faith, the hope, and the love are gone.
From the description of the walk of the Saints and Ephesus, the ones that receive the greatest truth because of the state of that assembly at the time it received it of any assembly that has ever lived. That is a wonderful communication for all of us, but particularly addressed to them because at the time of the address there weren't problems that had to be taken up with them and so God was free to fully.
Express his counsels and purposes of love.
To them.
But we also see they're the first ones, or the only ones really spoken of specifically, where that faith and that hope and that love had waned in their everyday lives.
So it is for us here.
To enjoy it.
The.
Faith that.
Trust God for each day.
That faith that lives in relationship to God, that doesn't deal with I got to handle this circumstance today. I have to deal with this problem today. What am I going to do about it? How am I going to handle it?
And so it is.
That I have a God to live with, to live before.
Just comment to in connection with this same verse, it says patience of hope in our Lord Jesus Christ and in the sight of God and our Father.
Connected with it is in the sight of God. Our Father means, I believe at least includes the thought that we live.
In the sight of God.
And consequently, we live with an act of conscience.
If I live before the eye of God as I see God revealed Himself to me in his Word, it's going to at times exercise my conscience as to my walk as to my what I'm doing. It also says in or before our Lord Jesus Christ because He is the object of life. He is the one that I want to please in my life. He is the one that I want to follow in my life. He's the one that I want to know better.
Each day of my life and I speak, I for us.
That we want to know Him. God has given us a thirst that way.
We each want to know Him each day better, and the more we live in the enjoyment of Himself each day, the greater is the enjoyment of His love, the more our hearts are constrained by that love.
So that we are tender toward anything that he wouldn't do with us.
We don't. In a pure sense, we don't want to do it.
We said, no, I don't. I'm not interested. Not because the law says I'm not interested. It's simply I can't enjoy the Lord in that activity. I can't do it with the Lord Jesus. And so no, I I prefer his company.
And so we the activity of faith and hope and love in US is also connected with an object, the Lord Jesus. That's our hope, isn't it?
We have faith, don't we? What's it in? It's in the Lord Jesus. We're waiting for something, aren't we? What is it?
To see him, to be with him.
And so we we go through each day. Lord Jesus, let's enjoy the day together, if you will.
Let's have fellowship with one another, and if I'm going to have fellowship with the Lord Jesus, it's going to be in faith.
Because I I can't see them physically at the moment.
00:25:01
It's going to be with a hope of himself before the heart.
That animates the life.
And so we would walk in it in that way.
Now turn with me.
To Romans.
Chapter 5.
You'll notice as we read these words, faith.
And hope and love. So as I read them you can notice where they come in.
Romans 5 verse one. Wherefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ.
By whom also we have access, by faith into this grace, wherein we stand and rejoice in the hope.
Of the glory of God.
Not only so, but we glory and tribulations also, knowing that tribulation worketh patience and patience, experience and experience hope, and hope maketh not ashamed because the love of God.
Is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Spirit which is given unto us.
If you happen to have the Darby translation, you'll notice that.
He boasts about three things here.
We in verse two, he boasts in the hope of the glory of God, but he says we don't only boast in that.
In verse three he says, we also boast.
In Tribulations.
And then further down.
In verse.
Find it, Lost it.
Thank you verse 11 very thank you very much. We not only so but we also.
Boast in the glory or boast in God.
Now there's something else about faith, hope and love that's very important.
In Revelation chapter 2 where those three things were no longer seen in the church in Ephesus.
At least from a picture form. What happens afterwards? Was the Lord or God in his governmental ways, but persecution on the church?
Persecution is a wonderful tool of God.
To animate faith, hope.
And love.
I think it was last year I remember seeing a Christian.
Speaking, who had been in the West, the United States, but he was from and he lived in China.
Where the church people of God there live under constant persecution.
And he was feeling sorry.
For us.
I say that again.
He was feeling sorry for us.
Because he could see the contrast, he could see that God was using the persecution.
To enable the Saints to live.
Their lives with.
A significant faith, hope and love and what we see in this chapter when it says we boast.
In Tribulations.
Why? Why would Paul say that?
Because he saw the benefit of it. He saw the positive good.
Than God allowing it.
Among his people.
And so in Smyrna.
They went into tribulation 10 days, measured yes in length, but to their great blessing.
00:30:05
I think if the Lord brings more of it.
We'll learn to boast in it.
We will find that we will be thankful when eternity comes.
Turn back to first Peter.
And you get the same point. It's an important point. So I will look at it in two places.
First Peter chapter one.
Notice the faith, the hope, and the love. They're threaded all the way through.
The Epistles.
Verse three First Peter 13 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, which, according to his abundant mercy, hath begotten us again unto a lively or living hope.
By the resurrection of Jesus Christ, what hope do you have? You have a hope in a living person.
You fear death.
Paul didn't fear death. We talked about fear this morning. Why? Well, the very one that his hope was in had gone through it.
And the same power that raised to the one that he had his love for that went through it. He says, well, my hopes in a living person that was dead and is alive forevermore. So he had a living hope to an inheritance. This is part of his hope or Peter's Speaking of it and inheritance incorruptible and undefiled. And the fate is not away reserved in heaven for you, it's yours. Enjoy it every day.
Who are kept by the power of God through faith unto salvation.
Ready to be revealed in the last time?
You're kept for it by faith. But then what's he say? Same point that we have in Romans 5. We're in. You greatly rejoice. What are you? What are they going to? Whoa, he's going to rejoice in something. What are you going to rejoice in?
Though now, for a season if need be, you're in heaviness through manifold temptation, that the trial of your faith, being much more precious than gold that perishes, though be tried with fire, might be found under the praise and honor and glory at the appearing of Jesus Christ. Whom having not seen you love, and whom, though now you see Him not yet believing, you rejoice with joy unspeakable and full of glory, receiving the end of your faith, even the salvation.
Of your souls. And so it is, brethren, we.
It's the goodness of God that brings tribulation.
It's the heart of God sometimes to preserve.
Sometimes to animate.
But here the trial of their faith was going to be to their future enjoyment and glory.
There were crowns connected with life and when life is lived.
As God would animate us to live it, he says. When it's all over, I have things I want to give to you, an expression of my appreciation that you lived the Christian life.
That you lived it with me.
And laying hold of that which was ahead. Now turn over to 1St Thessalonians Chapter 5.
For Sicilonians chapter 5.
Verse one. But the times and seasons, brethren, you have no need that I write unto you, for yourselves. Know perfectly that the day of the Lord so cometh as a thief in the night, when they shall say peace and safety, then sudden destruction cometh upon them as a travail upon a woman with child, and they shall not escape.
But ye, brethren, are not in darkness.
That that day should overtake you as a thief.
You're all the children of light and the children of the day. We are not of the night nor of darkness. Therefore let us not sleep as do others, but let us watch and be sober. For they that sleep, sleep in the night, and they that be drunken are drunken in the night.
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Notice this verse. But let us who are of the day be sober, putting on the breastplate of faith, and love, and foreign helmet, the hope of salvation. For God has not appointed us to wrath, but to obtain salvation by our Lord Jesus Christ.
Who loved us that whether we wake or sleep, we should all live together with him. Wherefore comfort one another yourselves together and edify one another even as also you do.
Faith, hope and love.
Our protection. They are armor.
For us in our daily life.
It's already been said we live in a world that's wicked.
We live in a world that is controlled by Satan. We live in a world that is 1 great Big lie.
It's going to end in destruction. The God of this world, the Prince of this world, is Satan.
But we're all subject because of the nature of our being and sin.
That is born in sin to sink down into the darkness.
To walk in the darkness of the night that controls the lives of men generally.
But we're not children of the darkness, we're children of the day.
And the character of the activity of love and faith and hope in the life lift us, lift the spirit, lift the thoughts, lift the life to be occupied with those things that overcome.
The world.
That life which is lived in the enjoyment of the Lord Jesus as its object. That life of dependence and obedience upon God that doesn't turn aside by unbelief.
Animates the soul to be occupied with something, the Lord Jesus, a person.
That the world can't compete with.
If a soul is enjoying the Lord Jesus Christ in their daily life, there is nothing in this world that can compete with that.
There is nothing that Satan can put before the soul that has a greater attraction and drawing power to the heart that's enjoying the Lord Jesus.
There's no power of Satan in it.
Satan said to Eve, you will not surely die. God said to Eve, you will surely die. It was an issue of faith, wasn't it? Was she going to believe God, or was she going to believe Satan?
She chose Satan.
If you live in relationship with God in a simple everyday trust in His person, Satan has no advantage over your soul.
Because it's what he offers, or it's what God offers, and if God is there.
Livingly in the daily relationship of life, he wins.
But if the flesh is allowed to work, if the eye is taken off the object of its heart and its faith.
He has every capacity to draw it down into the darkness and into the into the filth.
Because.
The nature of the flesh is still in US.
So it's looked at here is armor, it's looked at as protection.
What could the world ever offer us?
That we would want to make a choice.
To live for it over what God offers us as our hope.
Is there anything that the world can present to us that Satan through the world can present to us that?
Is better.
Than what God has given us is our proper and attended hope to live by day by day.
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To look for his Son from heaven.
To be with Him, to be like Him, to be in his glory.
To have eternal fellowship with God in light. Is there anything here to beat that if you will? Of course not.
Nothing even to compare to it. OK, in the last moments, I want to give one living example of a person who lived by faith, hope, and love. We like examples, and I want to give you one example to leave with you. Turn with me to Hebrews chapter 12.
Lots of examples in Chapter 11, but the best example of all is Left till last.
And it's found in chapter 12.
Hebrews 12, verse 2.
Looking unto Jesus.
The author.
And finisher of faith.
Who for the joy that was set up before him, that was part of his hope.
Who, the joy that was set before him, endured the cross, despising the shame.
And is set down at the right hand of the throne of God.
Consider him that endured such contradiction of sinners against himself, lest ye be weary and faint in your minds.
Number one perfect example.
This man, this man lived a life.
Of faith.
And hope.
And love.
He lived, he could say, in John 15, as my father hath loved me.
So have I logged you? He lived each day of his life in the enjoyment.
Of his father's love.
It was that which animated his soul in his daily life.
It was that which flowed out to others.
Did he have persecution? Did he have trials? Did he have difficulties in his life?
Who would say their lives have had anything like it?
But he lived. He was the beginner.
Of one who walked the whole path from the beginning to the end of faith.
In that which was beyond the site of this world.
And for the joy that was set before him, he walked through life.
Was it worth it?
Was it worth it?
If you have opportunity, as I'm sure you will, to speak to him in a coming day.
Would you answer? Would you expect if you said to him, Lord Jesus was the life you lived on earth of faith and hope and love? Was it worth it?
Know his answer.
I'm sure you won't ask the question either because you'll be in a condition we'll all will that we wouldn't even think of asking a question like that then because it'll be so obvious.
My brethren.
It is obvious it is. There's no other life for us.
There is no other life.
For us, but one that sets the heart upon the Lord Jesus.
That lifts the soul above this sad world that goes on and is animated to seek the good of one's fellow man, that they too might be delivered from the wrath to come.
And might join with us.
In the path of faith that leads to the glory, and that leads to our eternal.
Fellowship with God in light. Let's break.
Gospel 1
Gospel—Bob Thonney
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In our meeting tonight with #23 on our hem sheet.
Behold, behold the Lamb of God.
On the cross for us. He shed his precious blood on the cross.
Oh, here, the overwhelming cry.
Eli Lama Sabachthani, draw near and see the Savior die on the cross #23.
They hope.
Yes.
B4.
Precious, precious blood of Jesus.
Shed on Calvary, Shed for rebels and for sinners, Shed for me.
Precious, precious life.
Yeah.
Instructions Friday instructs blah blah blah and I'm not going to exercise.
00:05:00
Very, very far. Now we're going to make it so very easy. There's a snake.
Lord, any extent he's going to red wine experience like deep breaths, so whatever.
Did he silence crabs? Just slowly? And I have to go ahead a lot of time.
Surprise gracious, gracious Mother of God.
Oh.
Verses in Acts chapter 17.
And verse 30.
And the times of this ignorance God winked at, but now commandeth all men everywhere to repent, because he hath appointed a day in the which he will judge the world in righteousness.
By that man whom he hath ordained, whereof he hath given assurance unto all men, in that he hath raised him.
From the dead.
Let's pray. My purpose tonight is to speak on this question of righteousness. God has appointed a day in the which He will judge the world in righteousness. As we read the scriptures and as we look around in the world today, it is not hard to see that we are getting down to the very line when God will begin.
The most awful judgment that this world has ever seen. It's not my purpose to talk about that so much as the question of being right with God. In the Old Testament, a man called Job said. How should a man be just with God?
We might say, how can a man be right with God? And my purpose here tonight is to ask you, are you right with God?
Oh, how important it is. And in a world like we live in, where there are so many different ideas floating around and people think that they have the right to believe what they want to, Yes, they may have the right to believe what they want to, but when it comes to the judgment we're talking about.
You are not going to be judged on your own ideas, you are going to be judged on the ground of God's perfect righteousness.
I sometimes try to get the point across. We lived in Bolivia for a number of years, and supposing I was taken into custody by the police of Bolivia and charged with a certain crime, and when I am called before the judge, I say, well, in the United States we can do that, what would they say to me?
Sir, you are not in the United States of America. You are on Bolivian territory. You will be judged by Bolivian law. I do not have the right to impose my ideas on their system of justice. And so it is when it comes to being right with God. You have to be right with God on His standards, not on your own ideas. And people think they have the right to establish the basis upon which they will be judged.
They are sorely mistaken. No, we will be judged according to God's holy righteousness, His perfect righteousness. My purpose today is to go first of all to Romans chapter 3 to take up this question of how a person can be right with God.
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You know, it wasn't too long ago in our meeting in Lawrenceville, a brother went to be with the Lord. He had a good testimony in the area and a lot of people said.
Well, if anybody is going to be in heaven, he's certainly in heaven.
And I had the responsibility of giving the gospel at his funeral, and the family asked me to tell the people he's not on heaven because he was a good man.
He's a Goodman because God saved him and made him righteous, and therefore he is in heaven.
Oh, how important. People do not get that straight. And it is important that you and I get it straight. We are in a world where this these ideas float around. And I fear that sometimes in many of our local meetings where the gospel is not preached very much, our young people are not getting the point of what the gospel really is if you're going to appreciate what God has done in the work of Christ.
You're going to have to understand his view of the human race, and we have it painted for us here in Romans chapter 3 and verse 10. Let me read it as it is written. There is none righteous. No, not one. Does that seem pretty hard to you? Can you say, well, maybe I can think of a few people that I know of to be pretty righteous?
My friend.
We are not talking about the way it appears to you. We are talking about the way God sees it. And as he looks at the human race in its entirety, by nature he says there is none righteous, no, not one. There is none that understandeth, There is none that seeketh after God.
There are all gone out of the way. They are together, become unprofitable. There is none that doeth good.
No, not one.
Their throat is an open sepulchre. Think of the stench as they open their mouths.
Their throne is an open sepulchre. With their tongues they have used deceit. The poison of ASP is under their lips, whose mouth is full of cursing and bitterness. Their feet are swift to shed blood. Destruction and misery are in their ways and the way of peace. Have they not known there is No Fear of God before their eyes? Now we know that what things so ever the law saith, it saith to them who are under the law.
That every mouth may be stopped.
In all the world may become guilty before God. This is the picture that God paints of the human race.
You know, as a young person was brought up in the meeting as most of you young people are.
Too. And I have the idea, the mistaken idea, that I lived a pretty sheltered life. I never really got out into the messy stuff of this world. I wasn't really that bad, even though it says that. Yeah, that's true. But I'm not really in that category.
And I had to learn that I needed to repent. Repent means a change in your thinking.
And if you are thinking that way, let me tell you, you need to repent. Yes, you who were brought up in the meeting, you need to repent and recognize the way God sees us a little later in this chapter. It says in verse 23, for all have sinned and come short of the glory of God. There is no difference. It says at the end of verse 22.
Can take the worst criminal in the prison system in the United States and set him right up here beside me and what God says here there is no difference Oh yeah, you say he's done a lot of crime and you haven't that may be so but as God looks at the heart he says naturally speaking there is no difference all have sinned and come short of the glory of God it's extremely important for you to understand that if you're going to.
00:15:00
Appreciate.
The salvation that we're going to talk about tonight, God has a righteousness that we can have that is so vital that you understand it, the basis of it.
Because we're getting close to the time when God is going to take in hand the question of sin in this world.
God takes sin seriously. People in this world, and sometimes even those who call themselves Christians, kind of laugh at it.
Make jokes about it.
Not God. God takes sin extremely seriously.
And if you don't, take it seriously and get it straight with God.
You are in serious trouble. Oh how important it is to understand God takes sin seriously. Why? Because sin wrecks the human race. Often mention how when God first created Adam and Eve.
They lived up to 930 years old. One of the descendants lived up to 969. Others lived up there too. What in the world happened to us? Why can't we? A few of us maybe get up to 100, but not very many.
Sin degenerates, and God is a God not only of light but of love, and he would not be a God of love if he left sin to continue to degenerate.
The human race, God is not going to let that happen. He is going to intervene directly and we are getting close to those times. God is giving warning signals.
That he's not going to let it continue to happen.
Are you listening or are you just going by what people say? Oh, how important it is to listen. All the world is guilty before God. Verse 20. Therefore by the deeds of the lost, there shall no flesh be justified in His sight, for by the law is the knowledge of sin. Verse 21. But now here is a change.
The righteousness of God without the Law is manifested, being witnessed by the Law and the prophets.
Even the righteousness of God, which is by faith of Jesus Christ unto all and upon all them that believe, for there is no difference, for all have sinned and come short of the glory of God. Yes, this righteousness is unto all. God is not making any exception of persons not June or Gentile. Everyone is under the same banner of having come short of the glory of God.
And so this is unto all, but it is only upon all them that believe. In other words, there is a necessary, necessary response on your part. What have you done with the message? It is not enough just to sit there and to listen as the gospel is preached. You must believe it by faith. Personally, it's not enough that your dad and mom have believed it.
You must come to personally believe the message that God has given about His Son.
Then notice verse 24. And this is where we want to dwell a little bit.
Being justified freely by His grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus, whom God has set forth to be a propitiation through faith in His blood.
Declare His righteousness for the remission of sins that are past through the forbearance of God. To declare, I say at this time his righteousness, that He might be just and the justifier of him that believeth in Jesus.
Oh, here we have the core of the gospel, the way you as a guilty Sinner, the way I as a guilty Sinner can be just with God, according to God's standard of righteousness.
Notice verse 24 speaks of redemption. Redemption is a word that means.
00:20:05
Paying a price to set free.
And I want to talk about that redemption. You know, there are many.
In the course of history, many price that prices that have been paid for the redemption of individuals. Remember when President Carter was president why the Iranian people took the US embassy over in Iran hostage and I forget how many.
Ingots of gold they had to pay to rescue. It was a tremendous price, but they were set free paying that price.
It's a story I like to tell of in South America several centuries ago, there was actually one of the last Inca kings rulers in the Inca Empire in Peru. His name was Atawalpa, and when the Spanish came with a relatively small group of soldiers mounted on horses, they were able to.
Get the victory over at Tawalpa because Ottawa had given the command not to kill any of these. He thought they were gods. You'd never seen horses before. And these men mounted on these horses, he thought were gods. And so he told them not to kill him. So they were able to take Ottawa captive. And in the course of time he made an offer to these Spaniards that a room that he had, I don't remember exactly how large the room was. It's I don't think it was as large as this room.
But it was fairly large room he offered. He says I will fill this room twice with silver and once with gold if you will let me free.
And so the Spaniard said, OK, we'll accept that. And the Incas peoples were told to bring in silver and gold and they brought in and they did just exactly it. In fact, it was on the wall as far as he could reach up. He was evidently a fairly tall man. And as far as he could reach up on the wall, that would be the where they would fill that room up with twice with silver and once with gold once that was done.
They thought.
He thought he would be set free, but the Spaniards strangled him to death. It wasn't enough to set him free. I want to tell you another story. That is the story of all stories of a redemption that was paid by God's beloved Son, the Lord Jesus Christ. You know, God had one son and.
Seen the ruin into which?
The human race had fallen. He sent his own son into this world to redeem.
Us to God and the Lord Jesus, the glorious Son of God, the creator of the universe, was born into this world in Bethlehem. His mother wrapped him in swaddling clothes and laid him in the Manger because there was no room for him. In the end. I just marvel at that.
You know, and royalty comes into the world when a new member of the royal family is born. They always make the greatest.
Preparations for the arrival of that new member of the royal family. When the glorious eternal Son of God came into the world, they told his poor mother, out there where the animals are, maybe you can find a space out there. And there the glorious Son of God came into this world.
As the angels viewed it.
They must have wondered.
Where are these people that have the Bible in their hands? They had the scriptures from the Old Testament that told where he was to be born.
And about the time frame he was to be born. Where were they? Nobody had a clue.
That God had entered his own creation in the person of the Lord Jesus Christ.
And the angels went off into the fields around Jerusalem and found some poor shepherds, and they were the ones that heard the news first of all, that a Savior had been born. The Lord Jesus grew up in relative obscurity. We only see him as a small babe, as a babe of two years old, perhaps, and then as a child of 12 years old. And then we don't know anything more about him until he was.
00:25:17
Approximately 30 years old, he was called the Carpenter.
He must have occupied in that place.
To help support the family he was part of. But then came his public ministry, and he went out in works of power to show and to preach the gospel and to show mankind the goodness that was in the heart of God. Wherever he went. He raised the sick, He healed the lepers. He raised the dead.
And he fed the hungry. And then at the end of those 33 1/2 years.
They took him to Pontius Pilate, the Roman governor, and condemned him to die. All this was in the determinate council of God that this would happen. But mankind has shown his hatred toward the Son of God, and even though Pilate knew that he was innocent, he ended up.
Condemning him to the most awful death in the course of human history, the death of crucifixion.
The soldiers took him away. They crowned him with thorns. They beat that thorn.
Into his brow.
They scourged him.
And then they took him outside the city of Jerusalem, and there they nailed him to a cross, and he hung between two thieves, so it would appear that he there were just three.
Malefactors that were being executed that day.
They crucified him about 9:00 in the morning, the way we calculate time.
He died at 3:00 in the afternoon. For six hours, he hung on that cross.
For the first three hours, from 9:00 till 12.
They passed in front of him, mocking him and spitting on him. When he got to 12 noon, everything became dark.
Nobody could see what was happening in those awful hours of darkness. Isaiah the prophet tells us what happened in those hours of darkness. He was wounded for our transgressions. He was bruised for our iniquities. The chastisement of our peace was upon him. With his stripes we are healed. Oh, we, like sheep have gone astray. We have turned everyone to his own way, and God has laid on him.
The iniquity of us all was in those three hours that Jesus paid the price of our redemption.
All those filthy sins that I've committed and I wouldn't want you to know what they are. I'd be ashamed if they were printed on this wall behind me.
But all those were laid on Jesus head.
And then the fury of divine judgment broke on the head of our Lord Jesus. For three solid hours the waves and billows of divine judgment rolled over him. No, no complaint came from his mouth in those three hours.
At the end of those three hours, there was a cry. My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?
The God that was his strength and stay.
Per second that our most terrible agony. Why? Because he loved you. He doesn't want to forsake you. He wants to save you. And if God's going to save you, He has to have a righteous basis upon which to do it. And the only way is for somebody to pay the price.
Jesus paid that price in full on that cross.
Paid the price of our redemption.
And after he bowed his head and gave up his spirit, he died.
00:30:05
There is body hung dead on that cross, and a soldier came and pierced his side. He was commissioned to make sure that the three were dead.
Jesus.
They couldn't take his life. He gave it, but the other two were still alive. And the soldier came to the one and to the other, broke their legs, and they died. And then he came to Jesus. Jesus was dead already. Takes his spear and plunges it into the side of the blessed Son of God. Outflows blood and water.
Price of our redemption was paid.
In blood, the blood of the glorious Son of God on the cross of Calvary.
I can't grasp it properly, can't understand it.
But it's the truth of God. That's what God says in his word. Redemptions price has been paid in full by the blood of the Son of God on the cross of Calvary. Now God can offer you.
Full and free salvation. His standards of justice have been met in full.
Yes, God is righteous. There's a word here then verse 25 that is called propitiation. What is propitiation?
Appreciate propitiation. Is that part of the work of Christ that was necessary to vindicate the righteous character of God so that he would not be compromised when he comes forth to forgive the guilty Sinner? And I can say because of the work of the Lord Jesus, that the price has been paid in full. God is satisfied, and that's why.
God raised him from the dead.
There is a Savior on high in the glory.
How could he be there if there was any sin that was left?
In question, absolutely impossible. The fact that he's there in the glory of God means.
That God's own righteousness has been fully satisfied in the work.
Of redemption of our Lord Jesus.
Oh, how wonderful it is to grasp that.
To lay hold of that what is necessary for you, my friend, you guilty Sinner, let us sitting there what is necessary.
Believe it. Simply believe it. It's the truth of God. Believe it and God will not only forgive you your sins, He will do something even more wonderful. He will justify you. He will declare you.
Righteous Notice verse 25 whom God hath set forth, the Lord Jesus Christ.
To be a propitiation through faith in His blood to declare His righteousness for the remission of sins that are passed through the forbearance of God. What is it talking about when it talks about the remission of sins that are passed?
God forgave sins in the Old Testament. How could God be righteous and forgive those sins in the Old Testament? It was in view of what he was going to do at the cross of Christ and the person of the Lord Jesus and his work of redemption. Oh, how wonderful to understand what God has done. But now we come to this time, verse 26, to declare, I say at this time his righteousness that he might be.
Just and the justifier of him which believeth in Jesus.
God is just and the justifier of the person who believes in Jesus. I think this is so wonderful. You know, if I was caught.
During the crime.
Robert Bouillard might appear in court and try to justify me.
Would you be just in trying to justify me for my crime that I've committed?
00:35:06
Absolutely not. No way. You'd be unjust and they would probably be pretty clear to tell you that.
But how can God then be just and at the same time justify the person that believes in Jesus?
Because of the price of redemption that Jesus paid on that cross, God was so fully satisfied that now He is just and the justifier of the person that believes in Jesus. Oh the wonder of it all, You can be righteous.
Just and righteous is the same word, really. Basically, you can be righteous according to God's own standard, not by your own efforts, but by what Jesus did on the cross of Calvary. They took off his body from that cross. They buried him, and the third day after he was buried.
When the Angel came down to push the stone away from that tomb.
Not to let him out, but that's so everybody could see that he was no longer there. Jesus was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father. God was so fully satisfied with the payment of redemption that Jesus had made that he raised him from the dead and didn't quit raising him until he was far above all principality and power and might into me.
For the glory of it, to look up into the heavens and to see the Savior sitting there. The one who died for me is sitting there as a man of flesh and bones at God's right hand. There is a man in the glory of God right now.
And by faith, we can look up and see him there. Now, if you simply believe in him, not only will you have your sins forgiven, but you will be declared righteous. I'd like to stop to explain a little bit.
The difference between those two things says in the book of the Acts, Be it known unto you, therefore, men and brethren, that by this man is preached unto you the remission of sins. That's the forgiveness of sins. And by him all that believe are justified from all things by which you could not be justified. In the law of Moses. There's two things there. One is the forgiveness of sins, the other is justification.
You know, it's wonderful to be forgiven our sins.
To have the knowledge of the forgiveness of sins and I find that there are people that are not clear about that issue.
Even Christians sometimes are asking, forgive us our sins. They say the Lord Jesus taught us to pray that way. Yes, in the supposedly disciples, what we call the disciples prayer, that's what it says the Lord taught them to pray. Forgive us our sins as we forgive our debtors. But remember that was given to them before redemption's price had been paid, when Jesus paid the price of our redemption.
You look from the book of Acts on through the epistles. You will never find a place where it says that we should ask for the forgiveness of our sins. I want to be real clear about this because I find that people are not clear. And if I would come up to this young man here and offer him $100 bill.
Out of my hand. Are you going to sit there and continue to ask me? Please give me that $100 bail. What are you going to do exactly? You just reach out your hand and take it? Jesus paid the price for the redemption of of, for the redemption of our sins. And so now he offers full and free forgiveness to you. Are you going to keep on asking for it or are you going to simply accept it and say thanks?
God, for that forgiveness that you gave me in the Lord Jesus.
Preaching at a Washington State penitentiary one time.
And back in the back row. I don't know.
There's quite a group there that day of prisoners. We were talking about this question of the forgiveness of sins and how God offers it freely. It's a free gift. You don't even have to ask for it. All you have to do is accept it.
00:40:04
Anyhow, this man that was sitting way back in the back, I don't know what he was in there for at all.
After the meeting he came up and he said all these years I've been asking for the forgiveness of my sins. Tonight I accept it. Thank you God for giving me the forgiveness of sins. That's what it involves. People that continue to ask for the forgiveness of sins are not understanding the offer that God has made. Sometimes people say, what do you do then when you sin as a Christian, you don't ask for the forgiveness of sins.
We had that verse read today. We confess our sins. That's a far deeper thing than asking for forgiveness.
And that's what God wants from us as his children. If we sin as believers. Confession.
Anyhow, that's part of the blessing that God gives us, the forgiveness of sins. And to think that we have the forgiveness of sins according to the riches of his grace. I can look up into the heavens and say the God of the universe has given me the forgiveness of all my sins, has a wonderful, tremendous spiritual blessing that we have.
But there's something even more here in this third chapter of Romans.
Justification not only has he forgiven us our sins and maybe you would say, well I'm a forgiven Sinner, but you know what God does, He goes a step further and he says if you will simply believe the message of the Lord Jesus and what he's done on the cross of Calvary, not only will I forgive your sins, I will declare you righteous according to.
My standards.
Of righteousness wonderful Remember a story told of a.
Boy in a family and his this boy was quite unruly and bad and his dad didn't know how to control the boy. So he finally in his backyard, he put a post in the ground and he said, son, I don't know how to impress you, how bad you've been every time you do something bad, I'm going to put a nail in that post.
Out there, it wasn't long before that post looked like a porcupine.
Just full of nails.
One day the boy stopped and looked at the post while he. I've been that bad.
And he said dad.
I'm sorry that I've been so bad. And dad, his dad said, I'm going to forgive you your sins and I'm going to take all those nails out. And so he took his hammer and he pulled all those nails out. But after he had them all out, the son came back to his dad and said, but dad, the nail holes are still there.
And that's true if it was just the forgiveness of our sins.
The marks against us might still be there, but God goes one step further and He justifies the believer that believes in Jesus. Oh, the wonderfulness of this message of salvation, declared righteous by the God against whom we have sinned because of the redemption that is in Christ Jesus.
But it is unto all, and only upon.
All then that believe I want to stop to talk to you.
Each one here in this room, I don't know where you are. You know, I asked Tom if I could have a mic on my shirt here instead of this one here because I like sometimes when I'm preaching to come down right where you are so you listen a little better. We go to prison in Illinois and sometimes back in the back row, they're having a nice chat together while I'm trying to talk.
And I tried to single him out, say, hey, you're not going to do much listening while you're talking. This is important. So if you have something to say, I'll let you say it. Get it out so that you can continue to listen to what we have to say today.
And so it's important, where are you? Are you listening to what this message is telling you that you can have not only the forgiveness of all your sins, but that you can be declared righteous by this very God against whom we have sinned because of the redemption that is in Christ Jesus. It is so vital, so important that you believe it yourself.
00:45:22
We were in the prayer room before the gospel. A brother prayed. He said there must certainly be somebody that is not ready here tonight. I don't know who it is. I look around this room and you're all listening pretty good.
But amongst Jesus 12 disciples, one was false. Nobody else detected it. Only Jesus knew about it.
Where are you in relation to God tonight? I could come around 1 by 1 just to ask you, where are you?
In this question of God's righteousness, God is getting ready to judge this world in righteousness by that man whom he's ordained.
And it's going to be, by Jesus own words, the most awful judgment this world has ever known. We've seen some bad stuff happen in this world.
Second World War, what we call the Holocaust, What happened over in Japan, what happened down in Joplin, MO.
It's nothing in comparison to what's coming on this world. God is going to intervene. He is not going to let things go on without limit. It would not be a God of love to let this planet totally destroy itself. Man would do that if he was left to himself.
God is going to intervene. Jesus is coming again.
Wonderful thing to think about.
We as Christians really think the time is getting close. You know the Lords second coming has two parts. 1St is called what we call the rapture in which he's going to come and at a moments notice all those who are believers are going to be taken out of this world. The dead in Christ shall rise first, then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together to meet the Lord in the air that will take place.
At any moment.
Nobody knows exactly when. We are told numerous times to be ready and I ask you, Are you ready?
But then, after a time of terrible judgment in this world.
What is called the time of Tribulation or Great Tribulation?
The end of those seven years, the heavens are going to rip open.
And the Lord Jesus is going to come out on a White Horse. He's coming back to this world to set his feet back down on this planet and establish His Kingdom. And he's going to reign in righteousness from sea to sea. It will not be a day of grace in that day.
The acts will be laid to the root of the trees. He that is in sin is going to be cut off, and that's why it's so important for us to repent of our sins.
Sometimes even Christians get involved in, or I should say so-called Christians get involved in what is bad *********** fornication, drunkenness.
It's happened and I don't know if you're into any of that stuff.
You need to repent because.
The Lord is coming back again. You need to be ready when he comes back. He's coming back at the end of the tribulation period to establish His Kingdom. And when he comes back, scripture tells us there's a man that is called in the Scriptures the beast, because he has no reference to a God in heaven. His only interest is this earth.
You know, it's fascinating to me.
I've mentioned this a number of times, but to me it is very interesting. We were over in Europe in April.
00:50:04
Jim Highland and some others, and.
Europe is ripe for the rise of Antichrist.
Greece is bankrupt and it's followed followed by Portugal and Spain.
It's a very troubling situation that they're encountering over there, but.
They are ripe for Antichrist. In Spain they say half the people of that country are atheists. You try to mention God, they get angry with you as if you said a dirty word.
They're ready for Antichrist to rise up.
Couple years ago when I was over there.
I on the.
Subway system. They had a letter or a something written that said probably there's no God. Live your life like you want to live it.
That's the spirit of the age.
You know what? When Jesus came the first time Herod tried to kill him when he was two years old.
Pilot Both those men were agents of the Roman Empire.
Gave the order to have him crucified.
We're getting close to the time when Jesus is going to come again. And you know what's rising up over in Europe? It's already risen.
Is the revived Roman Empire there? It is. And when Jesus comes back, when he comes out of heaven, riding out of heaven on that White Horse with the armies of heaven that follow him, the beast, that man who heads up Western Europe is going to get all his armies together, Probably some of the most sophisticated arms.
That are available today and they're going to say there is let's go get them once for all and they're going to.
Perhaps fire all their sophisticated at him and it won't have absolutely any effect. Jesus with the sword of his mouth is boom boom boom and knock those armies out of Commission with a word from his mouth.
Oh, the glory of that moment when that man that hung on that cross, dead to pay the price of redemption, comes back and God publicly vindicates him as he takes the reins of government of this world and reigns supreme from sea to sea. This is the picture that Scripture paints for us. And oh brother, and we need to be awakened as never before. We're getting close to that time. You and I are going to be eyewitnesses when he comes again.
It's going to be tremendously glorious. In fact, brethren, when I look at Scripture and see how much was written about that time when Jesus comes back to take the kingdoms of this world.
There are probably no other spirit of time in human history that Scripture speaks so much about. Is that time? I believe it is going to be the most awesome display of power and glory.
This world has ever seen or ever will see when Jesus comes back in power and glory with His people to reign supreme in this world.
God has appointed a day in the which he will judge this world in righteousness by that man whom he hath ordained, given assurance to all men in having raised him from the dead.
You don't have it straight with God yet. I want to ask you to get it straight tonight. There's plenty of Christian brothers around or sisters too you can talk to. I'll be around if you want to talk to me.
And get it straight. It is so vital not to wait any longer, but get it straight tonight.
Let's just pray, Father, we're thankful.
How God Gives Power Over the Old Man
Today Is a Day of Salvation
Children—John Kaiser
DISCLAIMER: The following has been auto-transcribed. We hope it will help you to find the section of this audio file you are looking for.
Everybody, it is a good morning. You know, it's a beautiful day.
Oh, you're looking at the looking out the windows there and you see the clouds, but you know the sun is shining above the clouds.
The sun is shining over this whole half of the world right now. We're just under a few little clouds. It's actually a beautiful day somewhere.
This is what day is this? Yes, it's Sunday. What else do we call it? Yes, the Lord's Day. Yes. And if you learn your memory verse for this morning, what else is it? What other day is it?
If you learn the memory verse for this morning, this is also the day of what?
Salvation, yes, that's wonderful. You know, if the Lord Jesus had never come, we would never have a Lords day and we wouldn't have a day of salvation and you wouldn't be here. I wouldn't be here either.
We're here because the Lord Jesus came.
Who knows why the Lord Jesus came? Why did the Lord Jesus come to die?
Yes, the Lord Jesus came to die and because he died, he rose. And he, he is our Savior because he died and rose. He died for me and he died for you. And that's why we're here this morning. Now, we normally begin Sunday school by singing, and we normally begin by singing generally the hymns off the Backpage.
But we're not restricted to that. The Backpage of the hymn sheet. What hymn shall we start with this morning? Yes.
#46.
What are tidings?
Who knows? What tidings are we just saying about glad tidings? What are tidings TIDINGS. It's a long word.
What are tidings?
Well, that's an old fashioned word for news. So what is glad news?
That's good news. Does anybody here this morning glad? If you're glad, hold your hand up.
OK, what does glad mean?
Yes. What does glad mean? Happy. Good. I'm glad you're happy. I'm happy you're happy.
It's good to be happy. God wants us to be happy. And you know what generally makes us unhappy is sin. That's what makes us unhappy.
And so we have good news or glad tidings. I bring IBRING that Jesus has come to save me now.
It's wonderful news that Jesus came to save me.
If he came to save.
Me. Did he come to save anybody else? Hold up your hand. If Jesus came to save you. That's right, Jesus came to save you.
So we can all sing glad tidings that Jesus has come to save me and he calls and he calls all the girls. What are GIRLS? Girls. Yes. And he wants all the Bo YS2 What a boy. Whoops, I told you what are Bois? Boys. Yes, they're hard to get along with sometimes and they but the girls need to be saved too. Boys and girls need to be saved.
Two TRUST.
What is trust? Oops, I'm getting ahead of myself. What is TR UST spell?
What does trust mean?
What does it mean to trust?
Yes.
To have faith in somebody, yes, or something, yes. How many here walked here this morning all the way from the hotel?
00:05:07
How many came in cars?
Yeah, a lot of hands go up for card came in cars. How many drove cars?
That means the rest of you trusted them to get you here. You got in the car. Did you come in a car this morning?
Did you worry about the driver? I'm sure he or she's glad to hear that.
Yes, you trusted the person that drove the car. You didn't tell him how to drive, did you? No, you just got in and sat back. And we're glad that you weren't in the rain. All right, How about another song?
The first row gets first choice, but yes.
#5 OK, that's on the front sheet.
Since there's fewer children this morning, we'll sing the whole hymn.
Explode.
And tell them it's dry turns all over all.
My sins are playing.
In the heart and pray.
I'm going to resources.
I believe.
I believe the way I continue to trust the world. My sins are aware.
Now rest my love in my heart.
It's on my blood.
And center rose nor ever from my glory.
Of pregnant for observed.
Unprecedented heartbreak.
My sins away.
He told me to watch and pray.
I will pray the Lord and say every day I.
You know, I have been saying, as I was saying this song, I was thinking, you know, I've been singing this song for over 60 years. And I remember when I was young I used to sing this chorus, happy day when Jesus washed my sins away. And I agreed with that.
But then it says the next line says he taught me how to watch and pray and I.
Thought, well maybe and live rejoicing every day. And I thought.
You know that doesn't match my experience.
Deliver rejoicing every day.
00:10:01
Are you boys and girls happy?
Every day.
Well, it's because I wasn't reading this carefully. When Jesus washed my sins away, they were all gone at once.
But when Jesus teaches us, it's a learning process and it takes time.
And it says He taught me how to watch and pray and live rejoicing every day. You want to be happy. You need to learn from the Lord Jesus how to be happy. And I can truthfully say I'm happier now than I was a long time ago.
The Lord Jesus has taught me how to be happy every day, and sometimes that's sometimes that involves painful lessons.
But the Lord Jesus is the best teacher, so you can sing this song honestly.
Because He's teaching all those who are listening to him. He taught me how to watch and pray and live rejoicing every day. And if you say well, that I don't rejoice every day, it's something you can learn.
He taught me how to watch and pray and live rejoicing every day. Happy day. Happy day when Jesus washed my sins away. All right, we have time for.
One more.
Right on the end here.
#32 OK, let's see what that is.
All right #32 very appropriate for our lesson this morning. We'll sing the whole hymn.
Obey my sins something but the.
Party's on a storm that's not one spot. 3 days, nothing but the love of Jesus.
All over, perhaps upstairs in front of God makes me quiet a slow.
None of the bother from time though. Nothing but nothing but the blood.
For my part of the sightseeing, nothing but the love Jesus.
Or my pleasure to take this, My pleasure, nothing but the blood Jesus.
Oh, Christ shall set the spot for.
Makes me quiet.
Nothing but apology sauce.
Nothing can, portions of nothing but the blood of Jesus.
Nothing. Good night.
Jesus.
This is all my heart like this, nothing but the blood.
Gives us.
Revenge on my righteousness. Nothing but the blood of Jesus.
Oh, crush our sins up below. I can't see it like that. Snob. No, no, no, I'm here. I'm tired of time now.
Let's thank him.
Our God and Father, we thank Thee this morning for bringing us together in Thy grace.
To learn of, to speak of the Lord Jesus Christ our Savior and we know that we barely comprehend all that that involves the great work that he has done and the honor do his person, but we thank thee for those.
00:15:15
Whose hearts have been touched this morning?
To desire to be here for His honor and glory. And we ask thy help this morning that we might learn to appreciate Him better. If there's anyone here this morning, our God and Father, who does not trust, does not rest in the work and the person of the Lord Jesus Christ, we ask that that issue might be resolved this morning.
We ask, we all might leave this room in faith. We ask our Father in Jesus name, Amen.
Now we had a memory verse, and there's not very many up here that that might be expected to say it.
Who can tell me? I got the paper here, so this time I'm sure, I think what the memory verse was for. For today, who knows what it was. Anybody. Yes, yes, please.
Salvation.
2 Corinthians.
Very good. Thank you. Anyone else? Go ahead, Paul.
Yes, go ahead, go ahead. You go next.
They have salvation 2nd Corinthians 6 two OK.
Behold.
Is the accepted time.
Second, second. OK, anybody go ahead? Yes.
OK, anybody else say it? No obligation. Behold, now is the accepted time. You know, I before I have Sunday school, I walk around and look at the clocks and see how they agree with my watch and they generally don't. But I want to know what the accepted time is. I have a watch here that tells me what my the time is that I operate on. And I just to be sure, I generally set my watch a little bit fast.
I think I need the extra prodding, but I noticed these clocks here pretty well agree. So I knew what the accepted time was to start Sunday school. They had a matter of fact. They got a schedule here. Tells me says that Sunday school is supposed to start at 9:30 and we started pretty close to 9:30. That was the accepted time. That was the appointed time. And it says behold, now is the accepted time. Behold, now is the day of salvation.
And you know, we just sang, Oh, happy day, that fixed my choice on thee, my Savior. And my God. That was the greatest day in my life when I got saved. And I can't remember when that was. I was very young when I trusted the Lord Jesus, but I can thank God there was a time in my life when I trusted the Lord Jesus as my Savior.
The day of salvation. I wonder if everyone here has personally experienced a day of salvation.
So everyone here safe, can you look back and say there was a day I trusted the Lord Jesus Christ? There was a day I believed he died for me and his death was enough. You know, there's a lot of people that say, oh, I believe Jesus died for me, but it doesn't seem to help them any because they don't realize that Jesus death.
Was enough, They thought Jesus just didn't do quite enough. But remember, Jesus is God, and God arranged this way of salvation.
He planned, he knew all our need and he was fully able to meet all our need. If we say Jesus didn't do enough, we're saying God didn't foresee enough or wasn't able to do enough and God is able. And the Lord Jesus was saying, that's what I want to talk about this morning, the Lord Jesus death and what it means for us. Now some of you have seen this lesson before.
00:20:03
And I don't feel sorry for you because I've been giving the same lesson for over 40 years and I enjoy it every time.
What have we got up here on the on this flannel graph?
What's up there?
3 crosses. What do you think those 3 crosses represent? What do you think?
Two thieves and the Lord Jesus. That's right, let's read about it in Luke chapter 24.
And most of us are familiar with the story, so we're not going to read the whole story. We're just going to read the part that is central to the story. Luke chapter 2423. I'm sorry, Luke chapter 23. And we'll start with verse 33.
And it says and when they came to the place that is called Calvary.
There they crucify him and the malefactors, one on the right hand and the other on the left. So here's the We have 3 crosses here, representing the Lord Jesus in the middle, and two malefactors, one on the right hand and the other on the left. And you notice those 3 crosses look very much alike.
Because if you'd been there and had seen the crucifixion, you it would have looked like 3 criminals being crucified. By the way, what is a malefactor? What's a malefactor? Yes.
Not always. Well, generally speaking, you, you're pretty safe that a malefactor is a thief. Because let me ask you a question. Do you think there's anybody in this room who isn't a thief?
What's the thief?
Right, our King James Version said in Matthew chapter 27. Our King James version tells us these men were thieves. The Darby translation says they were robbers. What's the difference between a thief and a robber? What do you think?
Lots of things and Robert just steals.
I'll tell you something. Not much difference. It's just two different words. I suppose the technically somebody who writes dictionaries could tell you there's much difference between a thief and a robber, but.
There are two different words, so they there's got to be some difference, but there's not much difference. And every one of us in this room are thieves and robbers too, because every one of us probably stolen something in our lives. Anybody here who never stole a cookie?
Or a piece of candy when they weren't supposed to. I don't think so. I'd be very surprised. I know I used to. My mother used to have an heirloom cookie jar. Old, old cookie jar was irreplaceable. And I think she put the cookies in there deliberately because we knew we were scared of breaking that thing that was worse than stealing the cookie. And every time I stole a cookie, I was.
Very careful about how I opened that jar.
And I got to the point where I realized it was wrong to do it. I just wasn't worth it.
You know, the my conscience felt worse than the cookie tasted. And that's good. That's good. When you have a, when we have a tender conscience, well.
We all also, besides stealing things in this life, we rob God of His glory every time. We don't give God what belongs to Him, we're stealing from Him. So we're all thieves and robbers.
Anyway, there were three people crucified up there. If you had looked at them, you would have said, oh, they look pretty much the same if you didn't know what was going on that day, if you had walked by because they crucified these thieves fairly close to what was called a highway in those days, we wouldn't recognize it as a highway, but it was a main road in Jerusalem. And if you'd walked by and said, oh, the Romans are crucifying some criminals today, That's the word malefactor means, by the way, the word malefactor just means somebody who does something wrong. So we're, we're all malefactors, aren't we?
Comes from the word Mal, which means bad and factor which means doer. So we're all bad doers. We're all malefactors. So this is our story and that's what I want us to understand. This is our story. And you know the Bible says there is no difference for all have sinned and come short of the glory of God. And when people looked on the on the Lord Jesus and the two thieves, they would have thought all three criminals. But you know, God sees things differently. The Bible tells us that man.
00:25:27
Looks on the outside and everybody fixed up their outside to come to Sunday school this morning.
Put on clean clothes and if you didn't comb your hair, somebody else combed your hair for you. If if your hair needed combing. Some people have hair so short doesn't need it and some have so little they don't need it.
We we worry about the outside so much. We look in the mirror. I looked in the mirror this morning, but you know, God looks on the inside.
God looks on the inside, and so the Bible tells us that all have sinned and come short of the glory of God.
But it also tells us something about the Lord Jesus.
I thought I had the verse. I got these things.
Yes, who would like to read this verse for me? Because we're all familiar with the verse that says all have sinned and come short of the glory of God.
Read the verse for me.
That He was manifested to take away our sins. And in Him is no sin, right? And Him was no sin. There was one person up on Calvary who didn't belong there. If you just look at the matter of human justice, He had never sinned. He could not sin. But here, there it was right up in the middle. And so this is what God saw when He looked.
At Calvary.
He saw one perfect man.
Between 2 malefactors, people like you.
And me.
That's what God saw.
What does God see when he looks down in this room this morning?
Does he see malefactors or does he see?
Perfect people.
Well, we're going to. We're going to talk more about that now. Let's read the rest of the story.
And it says here verse 34 then said Jesus Father, forgive them when they know not, for they know not what they do. Father, forgive them for they know not what they do. The Lord Jesus prayed for the people who were crucifying him.
Now these people were crucifying the Lord Jesus. Were they being kind or cruel?
Cruel. When somebody's cruel to you, what do you do?
Anybody. Has anybody ever been cruel or mean to you? What do you do?
You get disappointed. Is that all? Some people get mad and some people get angry. And if you're if you get mad, what do you gently do? If somebody hits you and you get mad, what's likely you're going to do? Yeah, hit them back. That's right. And you know, the Lord Jesus could have hit back awfully hard.
He could have hit back so hard. He had the power, but he also had the grace.
And he said, Father, forgive them for they know not what they do. And because the Lord Jesus came to forgive and not to judge, that's why he's our Savior. And when we forgive, we're like him. And that's better. It's better to forgive people. You know, the world sees, the world sees forgiveness as weakness.
But that is divine strength. Think about it. That's what Jesus did on Calvary. He had the power to forgive.
How many people really have the power to forgive?
So it says here, Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do. And it's true. You know, when we sin, we really don't understand how terrible the thing we're doing.
And they party as raiment and cast lots. That means they gambled for his clothing.
And the people should be holding. And the rulers also with him, derided him, saying He saved others, let him save himself, if he be the Christ, the chosen of God. And the soldiers also mocked him, coming to him and offering him vinegar, and saying, If thou be the king of the Jews, save thyself. And a superscription. A sign also is written over him in letters of Greek and Latin and Hebrew. This is the king of the Jews. So people were making fun of the Lord Jesus, and they still do it today.
00:30:22
You know, recently there was this fellow that.
Predicted the world was going to end May 21St.
And it didn't you notice? I presume it didn't. And I heard people after that laughing, not just at him.
But at the Lord Jesus as well, Christianity, anything related to the Lord Jesus people still.
Laugh at the Lord Jesus and you go to school, you're going to find out. They'll laugh at him.
But he.
The Lord Jesus is still the Lord and he is going to win. He went, he won there and he's going to win again when he comes back now, it says. And one of the malefactors which were hanged rail on him.
As a matter of fact, if we read another gospel, it says both of them did. But we're concerned with the contrast between the two malefactors here and says one of the malefactors which were hanged railed on him. Railed. What's that word rail mean?
Railed.
Yes, very good very mocked him. They is to say say bad things. That's basically to rail is to say bad things to speak abusively. So they one of these malefactors who hang rail on him and said if you be the Christ, save yourself and us.
Now the other people had already been saying that, and hear this malefactor, this man who was dying, we'll say it's this one here, this man who was dying beside the Lord Jesus, mocked the Lord Jesus.
What a thing to do when you're dying, You know if you knew. Let me ask you if you knew you were going to die today.
Would you want to crack jokes or would you think pretty seriously what you think? What do you think?
Seriously, Absolutely. You would say I want to make sure I do everything right today because it's my last day. Well, this man and, and you know, I, I think of what a dreadful morning. We, we, some of us woke up this morning. We saw rain and thought, oh.
We weren't really excited about it. I don't think the farmers around here need any more rain. I don't know. But anyway, God knows what we need. But we we looked out. I looked out the window and thought that's not what I was planning to walk over here this morning.
And the rain kind of discouraged me from that.
But these two men woke up to something far worse.
If they slept at all last night, the night, the night before, if those men slept at all, What do you think they thought they were thinking about when they woke up? What do you think they were thinking about when they woke up?
Well, I suspect they had already been condemned and knew they were condemned, and we don't know for sure the details, but they knew they were in trouble.
And.
How would you like it if you were in your cell and a Roman soldier came in in the morning and said OK, get up, this is the day you die?
Would you feel very good?
No.
I imagine these men felt pretty rotten.
But this one man, he was joking just the same, and he said, if you're the Christ, save yourself and us. And why thank God, there was the other thief had begun to think differently. He said, he said the other answering rebuked him, saying, does not thou fear God, seeing thou art in the same condemnation and we indeed justly, for we receive the due reward of our deeds.
But this man hath done nothing amiss. This man, the other, the other thief, the other malefactor, he realized.
He was getting what he deserved and everyone of us deserves death. We do. We deserve death because the Bible says the wages of sin is death.
But then this other man, this other malefactor, went on to say something very wonderful.
He said Lord, Remember Me.
When thou comest into thy Kingdom, he spoke to the Lord Jesus and said, Lord, Remember Me? He was recognizing the Lord Jesus not only as somebody superior to him.
00:35:02
But as somebody who was still going to come into his Kingdom, he was recognizing the Lord Jesus as the Messiah.
Have you ever called Jesus Lord? You know, it's a wonderful thing. People talk about Jesus and just use the word Jesus, but I love to hear the word Lord.
He said, Lord, Remember Me when thou comest into thy Kingdom.
And Jesus said to him, Verily I say unto thee, Today thou shalt be with me in paradise. And you know what had started out to be the worst day in that man's life?
Turned out to be the best. Wouldn't it be the best day in your life if today the Lord Jesus said to you?
Today you'll be with me in paradise.
That make my day.
Are you ready to go?
I'm going to ask you a question.
Was this man ready to go to paradise? What do you think?
Oh, how about this man?
What do you think?
Yes, Jesus said he was going to be there. How is he going to get there? Well, he's going to get there through the Lord Jesus. We'll read about that now, it says.
And it was about the 6th hour and there was darkness over all the earth until the 9th hour. God kind of pulled a curtain over the whole scene, you know?
And we'll do that too, just to get the picture.
There was going to be something happen.
And it was God's business. It wasn't man's business. And I want you to know, salvation is God's business. You have nothing to do with it except accept it.
It's all God's business, the Bible says. Salvation is of the Lord has nothing to do with me. It's something that I receive. And so God did some business in the dark, the Bible tells us. And the brother who spoke last night in the gospel reminded us that something wonderful happened in the dark.
And let's read that. Let's see here.
I thought I had these all sorted out here.
Oh yes.
Who wants to read this verse for me? Well, I'm glad to have so many eager readers here. Let's try you.
In his own body, on the tree. That's right.
221 Very good. Christ himself bore our sins in his own body on the tree. He was punished in those three hours of darkness. Now, just to get the picture, we'll pull back the curtain, so to speak, because God when it though he did the business in the dark, He's brought us into the light, so we know what happened.
Remember this thief here who trusted the Lord Jesus, believed the Lord Jesus was who he was. He didn't know. I don't think he knew at all what Jesus was going to be doing, but he believed that Jesus was going to be Lord. And when during the dark, this is what God did.
He took that man's sins, and he took my sins.
And laid them on Jesus, who his own self bore our sins.
In his own body, on the tree, he took my place.
Now, after those three hours of darkness.
This is what God saw on Calvary.
Isn't that amazing?
There was one person there. You notice this. This cross, this center white cross is edged in blue because it indicates the Lord Jesus was holy from heaven. But how about?
That cross that's cross is got red around it. Why would why do you suppose red? What do you think that's all about, Paul?
That's right, we sang. What can wash away my sins? Nothing but the blood of Jesus. And on the cross, the Lord Jesus shed his blood. And no, let me ask you a question.
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Why is that the cross there with the red on it? Why is it white? Why is it a white cross? Yes, go ahead.
Because, because he got, because his son's got washed away and and now we regard as no, that's right. He's, he's perfect. He's white as snow. Now, let me ask you a question. Think about this. Which person up there we can see two people represented by two white crosses. Which one was more perfect? Which one?
That's the question. That's the answer I often get.
Anybody else want to give me a different answer? If you'd like to give me a different answer, hold your hand up.
The answer is they're both the same.
Isn't that amazing?
But we we we know the Bible says the blood of Jesus Christ, his Son, cleanses us from all sin.
I have because of what the Lord Jesus has done for me. I have, as far as my sins are concerned, as much right to be there as He does.
As far as my sins are concerned, because after those three hours of darkness, there was number sin in him, no sin on him, and there's no sin on me. How about you?
You know we, I, I remember, we, we sing a hymn. 18 Little Flock in the appendix. And is it so? I shall be like thy son? Is this the grace which he for me has won?
I'm told that in a Bible study once one of the brothers gave out that hymn.
And the man he was meeting with didn't want to sing that song. They couldn't believe it was true.
We are like Jesus as far as our sins are concerned. No, we don't have His history, we don't have His deity. But when it comes to sin and sinlessness, we're like Him. And is it so? I shall be like thy Son. It is so. That's why that man could be with the Lord Jesus in paradise.
Now our time is almost up.
Everyone of us has a future.
You do. Even if you died today, you've got a future. And each of these men died that day.
This, this one man, this was the greatest day of his life. He woke up hopeless that morning and died and went to be with Jesus in paradise because Jesus died first. Remember, the Bible tells us that Jesus died first.
Well, they took the bodies down from the crosses. Maybe they took the crosses down. I don't know. I presume they did.
And we have here.
What are those things? What are those things you think? What do you think those things look like? What do you think?
Gravestones, right? Because we presume those men were buried, those two malefactors.
There's only two of them.
Why would there be only two? Yes.
Not quite.
I think you know the right answer, but you don't know how to express it. What do you think?
Because he was. He was but.
Because he was putting the.
Well, he was buried. All three were buried where at least all three died. We might assume they were buried somewhere or another. The idea is where those two malefactors, their bodies are somewhere on this earth. Where is the Lord Jesus body?
This. His body is so inevitable. His body is in heaven. How'd they get there?
Yes, go ahead.
That's right. Yes, the Lord Jesus died and he died completely, but he rose again. He rose again. He's, his body is in heaven, a physical body in heaven, and my physical body is going to be there someday too. Someday the Lord is going to come in, the physical bodies are going to go up and be with the Lord Jesus. And this malefactor here, this malefactor who trusted the Lord Jesus, we don't know where his body is now, but someday it's going to be in heaven too. Everyone of us has a.
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Future.
Think of that poor man who mocked the Lord Jesus and we're not told that he ever repented. What do you suppose those things represent?
Got some boys here like to answer questions, how about you?
What are those things that represent what they kind of look like?
Doors. Doors to where?
Heaven and hell, yeah.
You know that's what death is.
Death is a door to either heaven or hell. This life is like a waiting room at a bus station Oregon, a train station Oregon an airport. There comes a time when you have to leave and you where you go depends which door you go out.
You go out and get in the wrong plane, you go the wrong place. You know, if you don't trust the Lord Jesus, where do you go?
Yes.
That's that's putting it very simply, the lake of fire. The Bible tells us it's darkness forever. We have we have a hard time imagining fire and darkness putting together, but there's something comforting about the light of a fire.
There's no comfort in hell, and so the Bible tells us.
It is appointed to man wants to die and after this the judgment. But this man, the thief who believed, the malefactor who believed, he didn't enter into judgment because he trusted the Lord Jesus. Now I said earlier, every one of us is like those two thieves, those two malefactors which.
One are.
You like? Which one are you like? Let's pray.
Our God and Father, we thank you for this time together this morning. We thank you for the Lord Jesus Christ.
Running Away Is a Mistake
Luke 12:8-34
Reading
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Surprise.
Me.
Sweet.
God, I'd like to see you.
Lord.
Perhaps in Luke 12 verse 8.
We need to we have two more reading meetings, including this one, so it might be nice to try to move it along to get down maybe to the.
Part way down to verse 34, if we can during this reading meeting, but perhaps Brother Lemoyne, if you'd read from verse 8.
Chapter 12 and verse 8.
Also I say unto you.
Whosoever shall confess me before men, him shall the Son of man also confess before the angels of God.
But he that denieth me before men, shall be denied before the angels of God.
And whosoever shall speak a word against the Son of Man, it shall be forgiven him.
But unto him that blasphemeth against the Holy Ghost, it shall not be forgiven.
And when they bring you unto the synagogues, and unto magistrates and powers, take ye no thought how or what thing ye shall answer, or what ye shall say. For the Holy Ghost shall teach you in the same hour what ye ought to say.
And one of the company said unto him, Master, speak to my brother, that he divided the inheritance with me.
And he said unto him, Man, who made me a judge or divider over you?
And he said unto them, Take heed, and beware of covetousness.
For a man's life consisteth not in the abundance of the things which he possesseth.
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And he speak a parable unto them, saying, The ground of a certain rich man brought forth plentifully. And he thought within himself, saying, What shall I do, because I have no room where to bestow my fruits? And he said, This will I do, I will pull down my barns and build greater.
And there will I bestow all my fruits and my goods.
And I will say to my soul, Soul, thou hast much goods laid up for many years. Take thine ease, eat, drink, and be merry.
But God said unto him, Thou fool, this night thy soul shall be required of thee. Then who shall those things be which thou hast provided?
So is he that layeth up treasure for himself, and is not rich toward God.
And he said unto his disciples, Therefore I say unto you, Take no thought for your life what you shall eat, neither for the body what you shall put on. For the life is more than meat, and the body is more than raiment. Consider the Ravens, for they neither sow nor reap, which neither have storehouse nor barn, and God feedeth them.
How much more are ye better than the fowls? And which of you with taking thought, can add to his stature? 1 Cubit.
If ye then be not able to do that, which thing is least? Why take ye thought for the rest?
Consider the lilies, how they grow. They toil not, they spin not. And yet I say unto you, that Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these.
If then God so clothed, the grass which is today is in the field, and tomorrow is cast into the oven, how much more will they clothe you, O ye of little faith? And seek not ye that which He shall eat, or what you shall drink, neither be ye of doubtful mind.
For all these things do the nations of the world seek after, and your Father knoweth that you have need of these things.
But rather seek ye the Kingdom of God, and all these things shall be added unto you. Fear not, little flock, for it is your Father's good pleasure to give you the Kingdom. Sell that you have, and give alms. Provide yourselves bags which wax not old. A treasure in the heavens that faileth not Where no thief approaches, neither moth corrupteth. For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.
Let your loins be girded about, and your lights burning, and ye yourselves like unto men that wait for their Lord, when He will return from the wedding.
But when he cometh and knocketh, they may open unto him immediately. Blessed are those servants whom the Lord, when he cometh, shall find watching. Verily I say unto you, that He shall gird himself, and make them to sit down to meet, and will come forth and serve them. And if he shall come in the second watch, or come in the third watch and find them, so blessed are those servants. And this note, that if the good men of the house had known what hour the thief would come, he would have watched.
And not have suffered his house to be broken through.
Be therefore ready also for the Son of Man cometh at an hour when you think not.
Then Peter said unto him, Lord, speakest thou this parable unto us, or even to all? And the Lord said, Who then is that faithful and wise steward, whom his Lord shall make ruler over his household, to give them their portion of meat in due season? Blessed is that servant whom his Lord, when he cometh, shall find so doing. Of a truth I say unto you, that he will make him ruler over all that he hath.
But and if that servant say in his heart, my Lord delayeth his coming, and shall begin to beat the men, servants and maidservants, and to eat and drink, and to be drunken.
The Lord of that servant will come in a day when he looketh not for him, and at an hour when he's not aware, and will cut him in sunder, and will appoint him his portion with the unbelievers. And that servant which knew his Lord's will, and prepared not himself, neither did according to his will, shall be beaten with many stripes. But he that knew not and did commit things worthy of stripes, shall be beaten with few stripes, for under whomsoever much is given.
Of him shall be much required, and to whom men have committed much of him they will ask, the more. I am come to send fire on the earth, and what will I if it be already kindled? But I have a baptism to be baptized with, and how am I straightened till it be accomplished? Suppose you that I'm come to give peace on the earth? I tell you nay, but rather division. For from henceforth there shall be five in one house divided 3 against two, and two against three.
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The father shall be divided against the son, and the son against the father, and the mother against the daughter, and the daughter against her mother, and the mother-in-law against her daughter-in-law and the daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law.
Verses of this chapter, the Lord gives 4 special motives and encouragements to go on in the face of adversity. And the first one we looked at in verse three, and it's that all things are going to be brought into the light. And that's really meant, I believe, to be an encouragement to those that would suffer at the hands of those that would want to walk in darkness. And then you have His care and there would be those that would be persecuted.
And they could count upon his care, His love, his faithfulness. And that says not one of them in verse 6 not are not five sparrows sold for two farthings, and not one of them is forgotten before God. Even the very hairs of your head are all numbered. Fear not, therefore, you're of more value than many sparrows. So that's the second encouragement that he gives them, that they were cared for of the Lord himself. And then the third encouragement is in connection with the.
Him confessing them before men. If we confess the name of the Lord Jesus before men, we, by the grace of God, have any desire to present Christ as Savior and to identify with that rejected one in this world.
Why we confess his name in some small way, He's going to recognize that in a future day. He says, I say unto you, whosoever shall confess me before men, him shall the Son of Man also confess before the angels of God. What a wonderful thing it is. The Lord gives us an encouragement that He's going to recognize those things that we identified with him and spoke on his behalf in a world that had rejected him. And then the last thing in verse 12 is the Holy Ghost shall teach you in the same hour.
What you ought to say. And so they could count upon the power of the Spirit of God. When the Lord Jesus was going to go away, and he spoke to his disciples, particularly in John's gospel, and I think it's chapter 14, He said he would go away and he would send the comforter. And so they could count on the power of the Spirit of God. And it was meant as an encouragement. What a wonderful thing it is for us in a world that has rejected the blessed Savior as these two sisters we heard of in the previous meeting.
Laid down their lives for Christ, they wouldn't cease to confess Christ before those that were persecuting them. And so we live in a world that is rejecting the name of Christ, rejecting the things of Christianity. And it's a wonderful thing in the day that we live in to confess the name of Christ and to walk in the power of the Spirit while we wait for him to come.
Comment on verse 9 Robert that is a verse that.
A lot of people find difficult.
Well, he delights to reward those that will identify with himself.
And we might come into a situation where we would hesitate to name the name of Christ, and we feel that we might suffer reproach and we shrink back from that situation. Well, the Lord would have desired that we would confess his name and that he could reward us for it. And so in a sense, we've lost that opportunity, lost that opportunity to identify with himself. And so there's a reward that's lost. I think that's perhaps what is being brought before us, is it not?
I was looking at it.
Timothy too, that is somewhat the same and I think it is something to exercise this.
We live in a world that is opposed to Christ and to not be faithful to him as treason. Really, it's very serious, but it's something that I think, like you say, we sometimes shrink from it. We need to be encouraged not to shrink from it. Second Timothy 2 and.
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Reading from verse 11, it is a faithful saying, for if we be dead with him, we shall also live with him.
If we suffer, we shall also reign with Him, and here it is. If we deny Him, He also will deny us. Don't think it's talking about the question of salvation here. It's talking about the question of testimony and faithfulness to Christ and the resultant.
Reward that there will be.
There will be definite sense of loss at the judgment seat of Christ if we are not faithful.
And really, what are we afraid of in a country like this? We heard this afternoon about those who were martyred for their testimony. And as our brother Bill said, there are many this very day who know when they speak for Christ, or carry a Bible with them, or give any evidence that they belong to the Lord by their conduct they know what may be the result. Physical persecution, Prison.
Perhaps even laying down their lives physically for their testimony. But brethren, what are we afraid of in a country like this? A little sneer, a little reproach for the name of Christ?
Many of our brethren fear for their lives, but when we think of that relative to what we may feel, we suffer. And I say that word carefully. When we feel what we may suffer, and we will suffer a reproach, there is a reproach connected with our testimony for Christ. The world still hates him. The servant is not greater than his Lord. But I remember Charles Charles Whitaker saying one time.
When a brother asked him about his boldness in giving out tracks and speaking to souls here in North America, he said these people can't hurt me. He said when I was in Africa, I feared the headhunters. These people can't hurt me. They may say some things, but I'm not afraid of these people in that regard. Well, it helped as a young person to put it in perspective for me. But there is a reproach, isn't there, connected with our testimony if we confess Christ.
Either by what we say or by the life we live. We may not fear physical persecution, but there is a reproach. All they that will live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution. But again, Moses chose to suffer affliction with the people of God rather than to enjoy the pleasures of sin for a season, rather than to enjoy the accolades of Egypt.
And is it going to be worth it in a coming day? Will he be sorry that he gave up anything for, for, for, for the Lord and to serve the Lord's people? Not for one moment. Again, what glory is ahead? And brethren, to hear his well done in that day, His commendation, isn't that going to make it worthwhile? Are we going to suffer loss as Bob said?
Or are we going to give Him the joy, Him the joy of commendation, and he the joy of saying well done? We think of what a joy it will be to hear those words from him. But what about His joy? He wants the joy not of denying us before the angels, not of seeing a big bundle of wood, hay and stubble, those things that were not for His glory taken and burned up. But he wants the joy of being able to commend.
And confess us for those things that were for his glory.
It's interesting too, that it's before the angels of God.
Remember Brother Eric Smith speaking to us young people and commenting on the question of obedience and he said the angels know only to obey.
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Never do they disobey.
The angels, if there is one act of disobedience, they're lost forever.
But they only know how to obey. And he says they're watching us. We are a testimony to men and angels. And as they watch us, what do they see? Somebody that's disobedient.
And he said, this is what he used to say. What do the angels say when they see a disobedient believer? And I think that's perhaps what we have here. We shall they He that denieth me before men shall be denied before the angels of God. There will be a definite sense of loss in that day if there is not faithfulness to him.
It's helpful perhaps.
In verse 8 and 9:00 and 10:00.
It is with respect to the Son of Man that is the title of the Lord Jesus.
That he will take when he reigns over the whole earth, when he reigns and takes into his hands all the government of God in heaven and on earth.
And he hasn't done it yet, but he is the Son of man when he that is the title that he always referred to himself in the gospels as being who he was who do when Matt when he was asked the disciples who do men say that I the Son of man AM and they Peter gives the confession now at the Christ, the Son of the living God.
When He comes in power and glory, He comes as the Son of Man. And so I believe the force here is that now He doesn't have that place, but He wants His disciples, His followers, His servants in the world at this time to identify themselves with Him in His present position.
And to serve him in that way and so as the rejected man.
They have to identify. Do I identify when I am afraid to confess his name?
What am I really doing? I don't want to be identified with that name. I want to protect my own name. I want to protect my own reputation. I don't want people to think bad about who me and that's that produces a fear. But he's teaching them to serve him and to properly serve the Lord Jesus, our hearts have to be identified with him as Son of man in his present position.
With respect to the world. So in Matthew and in Luke later on, it's the Son of Man coming in his glory. Well then, what does he want to do?
Oh, you identified with me. Then I'm going to display you with me then in in the coming glory. And the angels are going to be observers of it all. They're going to see who is publicly displayed in that sense with him.
Are we going to be able to be displayed that way, brethren?
Are we going to hide our light under a bushel in order to have our own name and not associate with His position now in testimony for Him? Well then, when the day of glory comes, and when the Son of Man is displayed in all His glory before the world and angels, there will be a sense of either one who publicly now identified with Him or one who did not, because He will display those who identified with Him now in a special way.
And in a way that manifests to the angels and all these walked with me. And so it is in connection with reward or loss. And it will be a reward to the heart to to be as it were identified with him. I want to just make a side comment.
Just because it's on my heart, I was saying it to somebody today or yesterday.
Brother Merle Graham. Some here remember Brother Merle Graham.
And when the Lord took our brother home to be with himself.
In my own heart I could just see the Lord Jesus.
Putting his arms around the shoulder of Merle Graham and saying to me, this is my friend, this is my friend. Brethren, when the Lord comes in his glory, wouldn't it be a wonderful thing if he were able publicly to put his arm around us as ones who walked with him practically and said, this is my friend, this one, I'm going to sit on my throne with me. This one is going to be over this drive of Israel as we know.
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The apostles will be their special place of glory in the in the Millennium, but each one of us will have a place in the millennial glory with respect to the government of the earth, and it will be according to.
How we're living today for him.
Perhaps we see it illustrated a little with the life of Jonathan and David, don't we? Because we find that Jonathan wasn't willing to go all the way with David. He wasn't willing to to identify with David in his rejection. He went back to the palace and he was with his father and David no doubt felt it and felt it very keenly. David, of course, being a picture of the Lord Jesus in his rejection.
And it's interesting that there were those who did associate with David in his rejection. There were those who came to him in The Cave of Adalam. They were with him when he fled as a bird to the mountain and when he feared for his life from King Saul. Those that perhaps left the comforts of home and family and lived in conditions that perhaps weren't what they were normally used to or really conducive to what they would have normally chosen.
But poor Jonathan, if Jonathan had associated with David in The Cave of Adalam, he no doubt would have been associated with David in the palace, because David, the Lord's anointed, did eventually receive his Kingdom. And I often think of those who did associate with him in his rejection, those who were there in The Cave of Adalam, they no doubt had a special place. When David took the throne, those who slept with him in The Cave of a dullum reigned with help to reign with him in the palace.
And I realize, as Dawn has just said, that every believer is going to be with Christ and have a part and so on. But the illustration is there. John, poor Jonathan, he never lived to see David take his throne. He was slain with his father on Mount Gilboa because he didn't associate with the true king in his rejection. And yes, brethren, every one of us are going to have a place with Christ. Every one of us are going to come back with him.
In a coming day and there'll be something that he can commend for there'll be some little administrative position he'll give each one of us. But is it going to be really according to what his heart would have desired? Is he going to be able to say, so to speak, be thou over 10 cities? That's what he really wants to be able to say in each of your of of our lives in the coming day. So there we have it illustrated.
Jonathan wasn't willing to associate with God's man in his rejection. He never associated with him in the palace. Are we willing to follow a rejected Christ, a rejected king, now looking forward to the day when he's going to take his Kingdom, He is going to reign. A king shall reign in righteousness, and Princess shall rule in judgment.
I'd just like to read in Second Samuel chapter 19, Jonathan's son and Jonathan.
Had an effect, had an influence on his son. And you and I, each one of us, none of us liveth unto himself, and no man dies unto himself. And so we find that Mephibosheth didn't follow David in his rejection. And in in a sense it was part of partly Jonathans fault. Second Timothy, Second Samuel chapter 19 and verse 25. It came to pass when he was come to Jerusalem to meet the king, that the king said unto him, Wherefore went us not thou with me, Methodist.
And then he gives his reason.
But he was lame on both of his feet. And I just suggest this, that because Mephibosheth didn't see his father follow David in his rejection, and in a sense denied David the pleasure of his presence and suffering in his rejection, that Mephibosheth wasn't able to follow David in his rejection. He wasn't able physically to do it. But we know it's little picture to us, and it's a solemn thing.
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That if you and I will not identify with our Savior and our children see that we shrink back from identifying with the Lord in His rejection while we live in this favoured land. Why it may be that they won't identify because they just didn't see us do it. I want to just point out too, and second Timothy chapter one that the apostle Paul was encouraging Timothy to.
In verse 8.
Second Timothy chapter one, verse eight. He was encouraging Timothy to identify.
Not only with himself, but with the Lord. It says First Timothy a Second Timothy, chapter one, verse 8. Be not thou therefore ashamed of the testimony of our Lord.
Nor of me his prisoner, but be thou partaker of the afflictions of the gospel according to the power of God. What a privilege it is. And it's only in this scene, in the day that we live in, in the day of grace that we can possibly suffer for Christ in the coming day. It's going to be too late. When we see the Lord face to face, it's going to be too late. But Paul desired that Timothy, a young man, would not be ashamed of the testimony of our Lord.
I just want to fully encouragement of those that are maybe a little younger to just relay a little incident in my own life. My father, you know, we were brought up in Northern Ontario, 1St 10 years of our life along the Canadian Canadian Pacific Railway in the middle of nowhere. And then we went to school in a city in in Sudbury, ON and my dad took us aside as boys and I don't remember if my sisters were there.
But he said, you know boys.
You're different. You belong to the Lord Jesus.
And you've taken, you've confessed Christ, you've taken Christ as your Savior. You're different to the other boys. He says that's good. You're different. You make sure that you live for the Lord before those boys and have a confession of Christ before them. It's normal to be a Christian. It's not normal to live in this world and not know the Lord Jesus as Savior. So you're going to go to school and you're going to live a normal life before those boys and girls. And so I thought that was very good advice. It's a good thing for us to recognize that when we go to school, we go to the workplace.
We're going to live and we we face this world and that rejected the Lord Jesus.
It's a normal thing for us to live for the Lord and to present Christ to them in a public way.
Like to make a few comments on what is I think a root difficulty.
In us why we sometimes do not confess or identify with the Lord Jesus as we should. You turn with me back to Matthew chapter 16.
And verse 13.
Matthew 1613 When Jesus came into the coast of Caesarea Philippi, he asked his disciples, saying, Whom do men say that I, the Son of Man, AM?
And we know what follows. And verse 16 Simon Peter answered and said, thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God.
And that was the wonderful revelation to him. And having said those things, then it says in verse 21.
From that time forth.
Began Jesus to show his disciples how that he must go unto Jerusalem, and suffer many things of the elders, and chief priests, and scribes, and be killed, and be raised again the third day. Then Peter took him and began to rebuke him, saying, Be it far from the Lord, this shall not be unto thee. But he turned and said unto Peter, Get thee behind me, Satan, for thou art an offence unto me, for thou savorest not the things that be of God.
But those that be of men.
The Son of Man.
Not only was rejected, but he had to die.
He had to die.
And when he died, he died as Savior, but that put him into the place in which he is today with respect to the world. He is a man that the world has gotten rid of in that way.
And the difficulty we have sometimes is we want to trust like Peter did, and the Christ, the Son of the living God is Savior, but we shun to the identify with what it means his death means to our position.
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That is, in Christ we're dead.
With respect to our position, and we have with him in resurrection a new life in another world. The difficulty in the illustration in the Old Testament in Jonathan is this. Jonathan's father Saul is perhaps the supreme example of the Old Testament of this high as flesh can go.
Saul is, as it were, the epitome epitome of man in the flesh.
He stands head and shoulders above his fellow men. He had natural courage.
He desired natural glory, and anything that opposed that glory he was against, including David.
Jonathan is a picture of a true believer.
The son of a man of the flesh. But Jonathan's difficulty was he would not identify with David in his position. He wanted both. He wanted both. He wanted to have those things that man after the flesh desires that he got from Saul.
And he?
Would go. He loved David. He was a believer in David. He saw David as having the Kingdom.
Delivered to him, but his life was in the conflict of wanting to go on and enjoy the natural things of life that represent what Saul was his father in the flesh and not identify. That's the same reason why David's wife.
Saul's daughter couldn't go with David. She wanted the palace life as well. She wanted She loved David. She was married to him. But when he rejoiced before his God, she thought that lowered him.
His dancing was not appropriate to the honor and dignity of kings, and so she, they, they couldn't have fellowship in in David's place. And brethren, if we want to go on with the things of nature in our lives, we won't have the spiritual power given of God to identify properly with the Lord Jesus in this day of his rejection.
Because we're not willing to give up the place of nature. We want that which and so you find repeatedly that the Lord and Son of man calling the disciples to follow him. He's almost his first words are after you call him Lord is to deny yourself and take up your cross. That which speaks of the rejection of the world. The apostle Paul who didn't have this problem said, God forbid that I should glory save in the cross.
Of our Lord Jesus Christ, what? By whom the world is crucified unto me, and I unto the world. In other words, He took his place on the other side of the issue of death, and as was identified when the rejection of the Lord Jesus, but in the position in which his death brought him. And so must we, so must we. There is no other way about it.
Noticing this morning. Just a tiny little comment.
David was the 8th son of Jesse. Aid in Scripture speaks of a new beginning.
And our identification with the Lord Jesus has to be on a new principle with a new beginning, which is on the other side of death.
In Acts 4.
We know after the departure of the Lord Jesus to heaven.
The disciples had all good reason to be afraid of the Pharisees that they would be going after them now.
But they were not afraid.
I'm reading from chapter 4 verse.
Six and Anna's a High Priest, and Caiaphas and Son and Alexander, and as many as were the kinder of the High Priest, were gathered together in Jerusalem. And when they had set them in the midst, they asked By what power or by what name have you done this?
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Then Peter, filled with the Holy Ghost, said unto them, Ye rulers of the people and elders of Israel, if ye this day, if we this day be examined of the good deed done through the important man, by what means he is made whole, being known unto you and to all the people of Israel, that by the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom ye crucified.
Whom God raised from the dead, even by him does this man stand before you whole? This is the stone which was said, if not of you builders, which has become the head of the corner.
Neither is there salvation in any other, for there's none other name, and they haven't given among men whereby ye must be safe.
Now when they saw the boldness of Peter and John.
And perceived that they were unlearned and ignorant men. They marveled, and they took knowledge of them that they had been with Jesus.
And then we read in verse 15, But when they had commanded them to go aside out of the Council, they conferred among themselves, saying, What shall we do to these men? For they indeed, for they had indeed an notable miracle, but has been done by them, is manifest to all them that mountain Jerusalem, and we cannot deny it.
And verse 18 They called them, and commanded them not to speak at all, nor teach in the name of Jesus. But Peter and John answered, and said unto them, Whether it be right in the sight of God to hear more than unto God, Judge ye, for we cannot but speak the things which we have seen and heard.
And that is, beloved brethren, that's what we wanted to speak about, the things that the Lord Jesus has done for us.
We know later on.
Harrod killed James.
The brother of John by the sort, and that might have put a lot of fear into them when he did that. But yet then we see when he took Peter, how Peter got rescued out of prison and how wonderful the Lord preserved him and was an encouragement to the rest of them all at that time.
Verse eight, it says Peter filled with the Holy Ghost said unto them, And so he hadn't got a premeditated answer, He was hauled into court, so to speak, before these men. And this the chapter that we have before us, says in verse 11 That this would take place in verse 11, when they bring you unto the synagogues and unto magistrates and powers, taking no thought how or what thing you shall answer, or what you shall say. For the Holy Ghost shall teach you in the same hour what you ought to say.
And so it's a wonderful thing to have the peace of God in connection with desiring to give a testimony for the Lord, not denying His name, confessing His name. And if there is a consequence before this world in some way, perhaps not in this country, but others that suffer, we know that we may suffer in this country if we wait upon the Lord. We walk in the spirit, in the power of the Spirit. The Lord will give us an answer. And how many of our brethren in other countries?
We've heard of.
Has spoken the word of the gospel in the gospel word of the truth of God, and have found themselves in these circumstances, and the Lord has given an answer.
Well, it takes up the question of possessions next and the man that wants the inheritance divided and the Lord saw what was in the question the but the moral teaching, if you will, that we get from it is.
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What are possessions today? There's something to use for the Lord to make use of in service to Himself and but to be preoccupied and properly with it, and to make our lives rooted and anchored in the possessions themselves instead of using them for the Lord is to make this world.
The scene of our interest and as it's already been said, it's daily life in view of eternity, and this is the very opposite of that.
It's making daily life the essence of life in the center of our lives. And so he brings this matter, he said as as his What do I have to say to that today? What is that to me today to I'm not running the world, if you will, in its present form, the Lord could say to those people, So what am I to say about dividing the inheritance? And so the Lord isn't taking up those issues today. We may want to have.
Fair treatment and be ready to go to law to get it and so on of material things. But the Lord isn't promised that that's how it's going to work. He doesn't say we're going to have righteousness and an unrighteous world and so on, but it's more use what the Lord gives for himself, but don't use it. And here's the man that builds his barns and gets rich and what am I going to do? Well, what was he living for? Turn into your time.
He was living for time and we've had brought before us multiple times in these meetings that the Lord is saying to us, let's all live for eternity. Let's not live for time. Time's going to be gone, but what's left will be the how we live time in view of eternity. And that's what he says to this man. He was a fool. He said I've got years to live. I'm going to eat, drink and be married. The world says let's eat, drink and be merry, for tomorrow we die, in other words.
I might as well enjoy all I can now because someday it's going to end. But that's it. That's all he thinks about. He never thinks beyond his present life and death. But the Lord is telling his servants, you live. You live in view of what's ahead, live in view of my Kingdom. And don't take the attitude of let's eat, drink and be merry, for we have many years.
And so there are two has thought to do is in verse 415.
He said unto them, Take heed, and beware of covetousness.
And this the next two lines of that verse, That's, that's what I learned by heart, because we should all learn that by heart, for a man's life consisteth not in the abundance of the things which he possessed.
That's something you think about.
It's not the things that we have that make us happy.
The abundance.
All right, I suggest there are two things to in this parable that bear on the present dispensation in which we live.
One is that Christ is not directly laying claim to this world. There is a day coming, if we could say it, when the Lord Jesus will be a judge over people. There is a day coming when He will administer justice in this world during the millennial day. But at the moment he's calling us out of this world for heavenly blessings.
So that's the truth. He wants to get through to us.
And the other thing that I think we need our attention drawn to our brother has just read verse 15. A man's life consists of not in the abundance of the things which he possesseth.
Any of you that have the Darby translation, It puts, if I could say it, A twist on it that is very, very instructive.
A man does not have to be in abundance for his life to be in his possessions. Or close to that anyway. Is that is that? Is that pretty close? Yes.
Because a man is in abundance that his wife is in his possessions. Exactly.
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That means that I don't have to be rich in order for my life to be in my possessions. And some of us that have traveled have seen individuals more occupied with, well, bits and pieces of this world. I even read about, and I don't want to pick on anybody, but I read about a man who was a rickshaw puller.
Calcutta in India and he was all excited about the prospects that he had and the life that lay ahead and he was in good health and he could make good money and so on. And you and I in North America would say, well, rickshaw puller, that doesn't sound like very interesting or prospective job. But our lives can be in our possessions no matter how much we have. Very, very solemn, isn't it?
Sorry, Bill.
Time that I start a parable and this parable actually starts in verse 16. The first thing that I try to do is I try to find what I call the key to the parable.
Sometimes the parable is out in the middle, sometimes the parable is after the end when it is explained by Jesus and sometimes the parable is got the key to it before you start it. In verse 15, it says and he said unto them, take heed and beware of covetousness. That was the emphasis that our brother on on these two verses. There's parable has a key to it about covetousness and how we are to take heed to it.
There's a lot of things about covetousness. Men think that once they have an inheritance, it's going to solve their problem. It's a false thing. By the way. Covetousness, I believe, is the last of the commandments, and it's the beginning of all kinds of of sin. Once you have a desire for these things, all kinds of sin begin at that point. And so he has a key to this parable.
And at the end of the parable, when you get down to 17, he speaks about Solomon and all of his glory was not arrayed like one of these.
In the Song of Solomon we can find our beloved coming down to this earth, to the assemblies and picking up a a Lily out of his gardens and taking it up to him. He has put his preciousness on us as a Lily, and that says that Solomon couldn't even be arrayed like one of these. That means that we are so precious and dear and of value to him that it is above anything on the face of this earth.
And so that's where the end of the parable starts in. And when you get over in verse 28, it's because we are of value to him. If then God so clothed the grass, which is today in the field and tomorrow discussed in the oven, how much more will He clothe thee, Clothe you, because you're of value to him. You are a Lily to Him above everything on the faithless earth, a precious gem that we are of His. He paid the price for us and therefore we are of value.
And verse 29 and verse 30 says that it is unspiritual to worry. Worry can cure absolutely nothing. And so we go on down there and look at verse 33. Here is our how we invest in eternal things. And so I'm going to let my brother continue to talk. But once you find the key, then the rest of the parable starts to open up to you.
Another aspect to what Bill has said to is connection with these things is that our hearts are really tricky. You know, we don't know our own hearts. And sometimes I think we feel if we had more, we could do more for the Lord. And we sometimes think that we've all thought that, I'm sure. But you know, if the Lord wanted us to do more, he'd give us more. And it's not a question of what we have, but it's a question as has already been said.
Of what we do with what is already in our hand. If the Lord puts a dollar in our hands, then we're to weigh that in His presence and in the light of eternity. If he puts $1,000,000 in our hands, well then that's a, a, a weighty thing to bring before the Lord and to weigh in the light of eternity. I say that because I knew a brother and he went into a business scheme and put his whole heart and soul into it and it was over and above his normal work and profession.
Then calling in life in a secular way and it really he, he told me himself he was doing it so he'd have more to use for the Lord's work and the Lord's people and so on. But you know, it took him away from the assembly meetings. It took him away from time spent in the Lord's presence and with his family, and it led to some very sad things in his life. And so, brethren, it's not a question of whether we're rich or poor, whether we have great possessions or small possessions.
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It's a question of what we set our heart on and what we do with what the Lord places in our hand today. Again, when you come to the parable about the talents, it wasn't a question of how many talents that person was given. It was a question of what they did with what they were given. And they were held responsible not for something they weren't given. They were held responsible for what was placed in their hand.
And everyone of us in eternity are going to be held responsible for not how much we were given or how much we accumulated or had, but what we did with what the Lord placed in our hand, whether it was in a temporal way or in other ways as well.
I've enjoyed that gym in connection with the Apostle Paul in the book of Philippians, he says in verse chapter 4 and verse 11, not that I speak in respect of want, for I have learned and whatsoever state I am. In other words, it didn't come naturally, he said. I learned it therewith to be content. I know how to be a based and I know how to abound everywhere and in all things I am instructed.
To be full and to be hungry, both to abound and to suffer need. I can do all things through Christ, which strengtheneth me.
So the lack of material things was not a hindrance in the work of the Lord.
A abundance of material things was not what enabled him to do the work of the Lord. It was having Christ, as is all. And I think that is a very important thing because we always have the tendency to look at somebody else that has more material things and to say, like you say, well, if I have more than I could do more for the Lord. No, brethren, it is what you do with what you have right now. That's the point.
And I marvel as we see the Lord Jesus and his life down here, brethren. Nobody that was poorer than him. Naturally speaking, he had.
Next to nothing. As he passed through this world, I've tried to think of what did he possess, materially speaking. The only thing I can come up with were the clothes on his back, which they took away from him when they crucified him, but he never lacked when it came to supplying the need.
For those that were in need, here's a group of 5000 men, women and children more and they were hungry. And he tested his disciples. He says, what shall we do for these? And there was a lot of calculating and reasoning.
What did the Lord use? Something that just seemed so totally, totally.
In able to meet the need 5 little rolls and two fishes. What is that amongst so many That was what God used and so I think it is so important to realize it's not in having abundance that capacitates us to serve the Lord. It is not having abundance I should say. It's not having a lack of that those things that hinders us serving the Lord it is using.
Whatever it is that is in your hands right now, I've been amazed when there is that simplicity of faith and looking to the Lord in Latin America where there's quite a bit of poverty in areas, how the Lord just opens up things and things are done that you would not have expected. In fact, I say, brethren.
Some time ago in Bolivia, the brethren came to me when I was about to travel to the United States.
With a letter from a large city in Bolivia. They were meeting there and they needed a meeting room and they wanted me to take this letter up to the North American brethren to say we need some help in building a meeting room in this city.
I said, brethren.
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We're not starting the right place. You do not go to your North American brethren. You go to the Creator and Sustainer of the universe. If I take this letter, I'm going to limit you in the true resources that there are. Excuse me, I prefer not to take this letter and I don't know how much they understood it right at the moment, but.
I really do believe that rather than that.
What it is that will make you a useful instrument in the Lord's work. And like Bill said in the meeting, we're all in the Lord's work. Brethren. Don't go looking at certain ones as in the Lord's work. We all serve the Lord Christ, some in different capacities, that's true. But if we just use what He has put in your hand right now, God can make it a tremendous blessing.
He uses things that are small in a mighty way.
Make us earthly minded, we're heavenly citizens and really this is what the Lord was bringing before them to that this man was this parable he tells him of the ground of a certain rich man that brought forth plentifully. It had to do with this earth. But you know I I I enjoy too in connection this connection in Hebrews chapter 13 verse five and the Lord says there let your conversation or your manner of life be without covetousness, without the love of money.
And be content with such things as you have, or be satisfied with present circumstances, as Mr. Darby translates it. For he has said, I will never leave thee nor forsake thee. So what captivates the heart of a believer, a heavenly citizen, is the man in the glory, and as you say, the resources that he has for the path of faith. That's what ought to captivate your heart and mind. It's lowers the standard, it lowers the dignity of the position that we occupy before God.
Sons of God, if we get occupied with those things that have to do with the things of the wealth and the money and all those things that other people are, their hearts are taken up with. What a prospect. You didn't read verse six, brother, Please read that too.
So that we may boldly say, the Lord is my helper, and I will not fear, what shall man do unto me.
Like to comment?
Different direction. And on verse 21 we should be occupied with treasure, brethren.
We should have a great interest in treasure.
But let's look at how we should see it in verse 21. So is he that layeth up treasure for whom himself?
Is that the whole idea? I lay up treasure for myself?
But I do care about treasure. And Sir, do you?
We want it. We want our God. We want the Lord Jesus to have a full treasure chest.
A complete and full treasure chest. We see the Lord Jesus. He came down here and as far as his personal possessions and all that he had, He was willing to give it all up. But he was rich toward God. He wanted God to have children. God wanted to have children, and he was willing to lay everything out so that the heart of God and his treasure chest might be full.
The Apostle Paul, when he looked at the Philippians Saints, he looked at him and he saw him as the Lord's treasure.
And he looked forward to the day when he could see them in the presence of the Lord and the richness of it. And the Lord doesn't make any man is debtor. The apostle Paul is going to have the eternal joy of seeing the Saints of Philippi, the treasure of the Lord. But the Lord is going to say, yes, Paul, but they're your treasure too. They're your treasure too. You were used and and brethren, someday what we really count as treasure.
Will be manifested. We all have the present privilege of being occupied with what's really a treasure but whose treasure our own or his will let us be occupied with what's a treasure to him, the Lord Jesus and Speaking of his own, he said, behold I and.
Or he said, speaking to the Father in his prayer, Those that thou hast given me. And he gave everything for them in that sense, that they might present them to God in all their perfection of the way they had been given to Him as a gift.
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Take our children.
Our children are brought to us as as entrusted to us through in that day of manifestation. Present them to Him as a treasure.
For his own heart. And so it's a serious responsibilities that we bear.
But let's not think about it as treasure for ourselves.
To give a little illustration, tell a little story, as it were, and he would say that each one of us is preparing a little gift, a little box to present as a gift to the Lord Jesus. When we see Him at the judgment seat of Christ every day, we're adding a little bit to that gift. And in as much as we desire to live for His glory in this scene, we're preparing a little gift for Him. Some, perhaps like the apostle Paul, will come with a very large box.
As it were, and and that which was done in their lives, in his life will be manifest at the judgment seat of Christ and he'll get a full reward and others of us will enter into his presence and we'll have just a little box. And how we'll wish that we had lived every day more fully to his glory and had less of the things of this world before us as an object. So what a privilege we have to just as this.
Scripture says.
The treasure. So is he that layeth up treasure for himself.
In selfishness.
We ought to be characterized by those that are unselfish and using our lives unselfishly for the glory of God.
Our time is nearly.
Pretty gone, but just one comment to that I think needs to be made so that no one gets the wrong impression. Nothing of what we have here in this story about the rich man that built his barns greater or in the instruction from verse 22 down to the end of verse 30. Nothing there in any way encourages laziness, does it? God would not have us to be lazy or.
Slothful in our everyday lives and in the work that we do. Oh no. And it does not in any way predicate against a young person making due preparation for a career or for whatever job they may feel that the Lord has fitted them for and doing it diligently before the Lord. And we have many other scriptures that would in every way encourage us to do that. And so it's in no way suggesting that we should just sit back and say, well, the Lord's going to look after us.
But the whole question is, as our brother Dawn and others have brought out, what is our motive? How are we looking at the whole thing? That is the real question, isn't it? Go ahead.
Doesn't always mean to have money.
To be rich in the Lord Jesus Christ.
Is is very important. I'm just seeing. Just try to tell a little story of my own life.
When I first came to this continent, I walked the street of Hamilton ON.
On a warm summer day.
And I was so lonely.
A man came along and took my picture.
And he said, well, here I took your picture.
You wanted I gave him my address and he sent it later and I got the picture and every time I look at it today, I said there was a loneliest time of my life when I walked the streets of Hamilton and had nobody.
I didn't have the Lord.
And that's what I was really missing.
If I would have had the Lord, I would have had the one, the only one to make happy. But it wasn't six years later.
That I got saved and I had lowered my heart. If I would have had the address of Bill Frost at that time in Hamilton, maybe I could have visited him and he could have encouraged me.
But I didn't have it.
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And I didn't get one either. I had to wait six more years and ran through a lot, a lot of things until the Lord saw it fit to save my soul and make me happy.
Oh, say goodnight, greatest love man at the time. A promise to get to the water will provide.
It is always open. No, no, no, wait, no, no, it's fine, thanks. I spoke over the Lorraine in our strange. Drives me about, but sure God.
Drugs and all dangerous. All the water will come upon you.
Gospel 2
Gospel—Jim Hyland
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Meeting this evening with him #20 on the gospel hymn sheet Behold, the Savior at the door. He gently knocks, has knocked before, has waited long, is waiting. Still, you use no other friend, so I'll hymn #20. Let's stand to sing this, and if someone could please start it.
Oh my God.
I love you. I have you with me.
His password's gone. He was good.
Towards.
Him.
Today.
Evening, by reading a verse of Scripture that really introduces what I have on my heart and presenting the gospel of the grace of God.
It's found in John's Gospel, chapter 19.
John's Gospel chapter 19. Just the last couple of lines of verse 5.
And pilate Seth unto them.
Behold the man. These last three words particularly behold the man, because the exercise of our souls tonight in presenting the gospel is not to present theology or religion.
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Not to present Reformation, not to present sociology, not to talk about turning over a new leaf, but to present a man, and to present the man Christ Jesus. And the desire of God's heart. Tonight is that you would focus on his Son, the Lord Jesus Christ. And here we find the Lord Jesus at the end of his pathway, that pathway of dispensing blessing. And so many had observed the ways of the Lord Jesus.
In his pathway here, as his feet trod up and down the dusty streets of Palestine, as his hands had touched the leper, as he had given sight to the blind, as he had healed the sick, as he had spoken the very words that God the Father gave him to speak, those gracious words that proceeded out of his mouth. Many had observed him, but here we find that one more time he's presented.
And I realized that he is presented here by Pilate, Pilate, a man who eventually yielded to the will of the people and delivered the Lord Jesus to be crucified. But think of these words as Pilot brings forth the Lord Jesus and he says, behold the man. And tonight if we could boil down the gospel message to 1 short statement, 1 short plea, perhaps this would be it.
Behold the man, because it's a person tonight that we have to present in the gospel. It's not something, it's someone that we have tonight. Because God man is the man at his right hand, the Lord Jesus Christ. And God would always have us to have our gaze and our thoughts and our hearts directed to him, whether it's those of us who know the Lord Jesus as our Savior.
As we have had our thoughts and our hearts directed to the person of Christ in these meetings, or whether it's tonight in the presentation of the gospel, once again it's Christ. It's the saviour of sinners if this is the one that God would always occupy us with. And I know today they talk about multitasking and they talk about all kinds of things in the technology that allows us to perform many tasks. But tonight I want to encourage our hearts at the beginning of this gospel meaning to focus.
To direct our attention to one person, the Lord Jesus Christ.
And I just want to say this at the beginning of this meeting because it burdens my heart.
You know, I have young people.
And I was a young person once, and when I was the age of you young people, we didn't have the technology that you have today.
But you know, it burdens my heart to realize that sometimes in a meeting like this, when we are seeking to present Christ and to direct our focus to that blessed man as the saviour of sinners, to realize that sometimes there are gadgets in your hand, gadgets that are taking your attention away from the message and from the word of God. I know sometimes young people text across the room.
Yes, they do.
I realize sometimes you're reading things on your gadgets that are distracting you from the message. But tonight I want to encourage you, just for a few minutes, to put those gadgets away, to put them in your pocket, to hook them back on your belt or wherever you keep them, and to give us your attention for a few moments. Or, shall I say, to give God your attention.
For a few moments, God is seeking to get your attention tonight.
And if you don't know the Lord Jesus Christ as your savior, to pay attention tonight may be the most vital and important thing you've ever done.
I didn't pay attention in school like I should have.
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It got me into trouble sometimes. Sometimes the teacher.
Realized that I wasn't paying attention by the far off glazed look in my eyes.
And sometimes the teacher would ask me a question directly that I couldn't answer because I wasn't paying attention.
Sometimes when the end of the week or the end of the term came, I couldn't answer the questions on the quiz or the exam because I hadn't focused in class.
Maybe they would have given me Ritalin in my day. I don't know. They have all kinds of things today and they everything is labeled ADS and all this kind of thing. But tonight, tonight, for just a few moments, I plead with you before God to behold the man.
Can't you just picture this scene, the Lord Jesus on trial?
The only perfect man that ever walked in this world, the one who was holy, harmless, undefiled and separate from sinners. And he's presented to the crowd. He's presented to the world perhaps one last time before they take him out and crucify him. And Pilate says, behold the man, and God says to you tonight, behold the man.
But before we pass on and read some other scriptures.
I'd like to impress upon our souls, too, that there's one who's looking down into this room.
And one who is beholding each individual who is in this room, and not only so, but one who is looking into your very heart, one who knows your thoughts are far off.
You know, sometimes we like to sit on the back row, don't we? Because we feel that perhaps we won't be observed by the one up front.
You know, I never realized as a young person how much you can see from this vantage point.
You know you can see right into the back rows, but all I want to tell you something that's more solemn.
Than my eye resting upon you from this podium tonight. And that's the eye of God. Because you may put your BlackBerry in your smartphone away. And you may look at me. You may steer me in the face for the next 40 minutes. And you may seem like you're listening. But I can only observe what's on the outside. But there's one who sees. And there's one who has been watching you from the day that you were born.
One who knows every act you've ever done, one who knows every thought you've ever thought. One who knows every word you've ever spoken. And one who knows whether your sins have been taken care of by the work of Christ and the shed blood, or whether you sit here with those dark blots of sin still on your heart.
Yes, he knows, you know, sometimes as children.
We're surprised at how much our parents know.
You know, I've often said that mothers have an uncanny insight that borders on genius.
Fathers know a lot, too. I remember as a young boy, I suppose like all children or most children at least I had a sweet tooth. But you know, when I was growing up, money and candy was very limited in our house. In fact, my father used to give us a nickel to go to the candy store, and in those days you could buy a small chocolate bar or a small bag of chips. Sometimes he'd give us a dime, but he really thought that was squanderous to give a child a dime.
To go and buy candy.
But I remember one time in the grocery store.
When I thought no one was looking.
I reached out and took something that didn't belong to me.
And I slipped it in my jacket pocket and I took it home. You know, I thought it was some kind of chocolate or sweet. But when, you know, you know, when I got it home to the solitude of my bedroom and opened it up and took a bite, I almost gagged. It was a block of Philadelphia cream cheese.
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And so I quickly slipped it back in my jacket pocket, and when I thought nobody was looking, I quietly left the house by the back door and wound my way down to the backfield where there was a pile of rocks.
And I looked this way and that, and I lifted a rock and I slipped that block of cream cheese under that rock.
And with a bad conscience. Yes, with a bad conscience. I slip back to the house. I went to my room. Because, you know, when there's something really weighing on your conscience, you really don't want to speak to anyone. And you know, if you come in front of mom or dad, they're going to realize that something is wrong. My mother knew when I was quiet, there was something wrong, something on my conscience.
You know, I wasn't very long in my room till my father knocked on the door.
And when he opened that door.
You know what he had in his hand? He had a block of Philadelphia cream cheese with the end open.
And one bite taken out of it. I don't know how he saw me, but he observed. Must have been watching from the window as I wound my way back through the field and hid that cream cheese.
As if I didn't learn my lesson not long after I was in a convenience store.
And I slipped a coffee crisp chocolate bar in my pocket. I was going to make sure I got the right thing this time. I didn't get out to the car till my father was questioning what was in my pocket. You know, I'm glad for that because it taught me a great lesson that not only.
Does the eye of someone in this world see things we don't want them to see? But the eye of God rests upon us, and He sees those things that we never get caught for.
Yes, he does, and He knows our hearts. And tonight, if you don't know the Lord Jesus Christ as your Savior, there's someone who's beholding you. Or maybe you think you can slip down behind the other young people and the people in the row in front of you. Or you're sitting somewhere behind the post and nobody sees you. And that may be true, But remember, you do not escape from the all seeing eye of God. The eyes of the Lord are in every place.
Beholding the evil and the good, and we are all sinners. All have sinned and come short of the glory of God. There is not a man on the earth that doeth good and sinneth not.
But the wonderful story tonight is that we can present to you the man Christ Jesus, and in the language of Scripture here we can say, behold the man.
Let's turn over or turn back a few pages to the first chapter of John's Gospel.
John's Gospel chapter one and verse 14.
And the Word was made flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth. Just notice further down in the chapter in the 29th verse, the next day John seeth Jesus coming unto him, and saith, Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away.
The Sin of the World, verse 36 and looking upon Jesus as he walked, he saith Behold the Lamb of God. I want to read one other verse and it's in Matthew's Gospel, chapter 12.
Matthew's Gospel, chapter 12 and verse 18. Behold, my servant whom I have chosen, my beloved, in whom my soul is well pleased. I will put my spirit upon him, and he shall show judgement to the Gentiles. Well, I read these verses because again we have God directing our focus to the Lord Jesus Christ.
00:20:07
You know, there were those like John and others who were privileged to behold the person of the Lord Jesus as he walked here in this world Must have been wonderful, wasn't it? John said. Later on we have seen with our eyes and our hands of handled of the word of life. These ones had the privilege of walking with the Lord Jesus, beholding the glory of the Lord Jesus.
Those moral glories that were exhibited in His life, as we said earlier, in every movement, in every breath, in every word that He spoke, and not only that, but sometimes they saw beyond those moral glories. There were little flashes of His glory that came out like on the Mount of Transfiguration, when James and Peter and John were there with the Lord Jesus, and He was transfigured.
Among them.
Before them we find too that in the garden when they came to take him, a little flash of glory came out, and those that were there that had come to take him fell backwards to the ground. But what a privilege it must have been. Think of those boys and girls that came to the Lord Jesus on one occasion. And the older ones, the disciples, tried to drive them away. Isn't that what we are? Who are older are like sometimes we don't always have time for the boys and girls.
But the Lord Jesus had lots of time for the boys and girls. And think of the wonderful privilege of being taken up in the arms of the Lord Jesus, having those arms of love put about them, hearing his words whispered in their ears, others that came and sat down and listened to him as he expounded wonderful truth through illustrations and stories and parables.
Wonderful privilege, and John says.
We beheld his glory as of the only begotten full of grace and truth, and John the Baptist was able to announce the Lamb of God which taketh away the sin of the world. Is there anyone else that we can direct you to tonight? No, there's only one, the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world because we want to stress.
That it is only through the sacrifice of the Lord Jesus Christ that salvation is offered tonight. The Lord Jesus came in incarnation. He came in human form. It was prophesied. A body. Hast Thou prepared me? He came bodily into this world. He walked through it in perfection. But that didn't save my soul.
How could the Lord Jesus on occasion say to certain individuals thy sins be forgiven thee? Oh, because the Lord Jesus knew that he was going to the cross as that great sacrifice. He knew that he was going there as the Lamb of God. And that is the only way the Lord Jesus could forgive sins while he was here it was.
In anticipation.
Of that work. And there is only one way that tonight the salvation and the forgiveness of sins can be offered to lost sinners. And that is because the work has been accomplished.
Behold the Lamb of God.
We began the Gospel meeting last night with that hymn, didn't we? Behold, behold the Lamb of God on the cross.
On the cross?
You know, we were together, many of us this morning in this room to remember the Lord Jesus and the breaking of bread.
To look back to Calvary, lest we ever forget that mighty sacrifice. And so often when we're together, on an occasion like that, we sing that glorious hymn.
On Calvary we've adoring, stood, and gazed on that wondrous cross where the holy spotless Lamb of God was slain in His love for us. And I know there are just so many here whose hearts thrill as we present the Lamb of God. Your heart's thrilled as we think of that mighty work of Calvary that satisfied God as to the question of sin that has made it possible for the gospel.
00:25:14
Salvation to be preached. But all tonight our souls are burdened for you, if you are still in your sins, if you are still lost tonight.
Behold the Lamb of God. And then we have him presented in another way in the Scripture we read in Matthew 12. Here again, it's God directing us to the person of the Lord Jesus Christ.
And here he says, Behold my servant.
The Lord Jesus said he came not to be ministered to, but to minister, and to give his life a ransom for many. It tells us that he took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men. And being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself and became obedient unto death.
Even the death of the cross. And you know, as a result of that work, God has highly exalted him and given him a name which is above every name, and will speak of that in a few moments.
But I'd like to turn back to Luke's gospel now. We had it before us this morning, but I'd like to turn back to the 23rd chapter of the Gospel of Luke.
We had in the children's meeting this morning.
Our gays and our thoughts directed to that center cross where the Lord Jesus hung, where he suffered in agony, and where he was made sin in those hours of darkness.
But let me read in Luke 23 and verse 35 and the people stood beholding. I'm going to stop there. The people stood beholding. I know we've pictured this in our mind's eye time and time again. The Lord Jesus having been on trial, he's now taken and LED out from pilots judgement hall to Calvary.
To Golgotha. To the place of a skull.
You ever wonder why it's called the place of a skull?
You know, a skull is an empty head, isn't it? I.
And you know that's as high as man's intellect took him.
You know, it was the intellects of the day and those in places of responsibility and position and authority that clamored for the crucifixion of the Lord Jesus Christ.
Man's intellect caused him to take God's beloved Son outside the city walls of Jerusalem, that holy city that had deteriorated to such a point that it had religion without Christ. Because there's still plenty of religion without Christ in this world today. But they took him out and they crucified him at the place of a skull.
And there were many who observed him there.
There were the women who loved him, and they stood afar off, and they observed him, and you can imagine what must have gone through their souls as they saw the Lord Jesus, his mother, amongst them his earthly mother. You can just imagine what must have gone through the souls of those women as they saw the Lord Jesus suffered there. There were others who sat down and watched him in his agony.
There were others who passed by and reviled him.
There were those who, if we were to read on here, said he saved others himself. He cannot, he could, cannot save. There were those who said, if thou be the Christ, come down from the cross, save thyself, and us so many that mocked him and derided him in one way or another. We learned this morning about those thieves. And, you know, initially both of those thieves took the same position.
In deriding the Lord Jesus and mocking him. Thank God.
00:30:02
One had a change of heart and a work in his soul.
That caused him to own Jesus as Lord before he was ushered into eternity.
But oh, tonight, let's go to the cross for a moment. Let's behold the Lamb of God.
On the cross. On the cross.
To just stop for a few moments and in our minds I picture that scene. How hard is your heart tonight as you observe the spot, the Son of God hanging there in that deep, deep agony?
And where is the heart so hardened? And who is so vile as he?
Let's see if the Savior suffer. And Seth, it is nothing to me.
Is it nothing to you? All ye that pass by? Behold, and see if there be any sorrow like unto my sorrow, which is done unto me from above, Hath he sent fire into my bones? And it hath prevailed against me. Because, you know, as we had this morning, there came a moment.
When God said that's enough.
And those who had beheld the Savior suffer.
Whether it was a momentary glance in passing by at that crossroads, or others who sat down there for a longer period of time, God said that's enough, and God shrouded the scene in darkness.
And the most important sufferings of Christ.
No eyes all.
I suggest that no eye penetrated that darkness.
That fell as the sun was shrouded at high noon, when the Lord Jesus bore my sins in his own body on the tree. Yes, he did. I delight to be able to stand with Peter and say He bore our sins in his own body on the tree. But what about you?
Have you availed yourself of those atoning sufferings? Because those are the most important sufferings of all.
I don't want to minimize in any way the physical sufferings of Christ. All those sufferings were awful, but I really wonder when it says his face was so marred more than any man, if really that isn't perhaps.
Applied more particularly to that time when the Lord Jesus was made the sin bearer, we cannot and will not for eternity enter into what he must have gone through.
As he borally bore the sins of those who trust him in those hours of darkness, how deep a sorrow who can tell that was for us endured, and none of the ransomed ever knew? How deep were the waters crossed, or who? How dark was the night the Lord passed through ere he found?
The sheep that was lost.
The people stood beholding.
And tonight, for a few moments, as it were, like those people we stand beholding, there were different reactions, weren't there, if we were to read the various accounts in the Gospels there, as we've said, there were different reactions as they observed the Lord Jesus there on the cross, and no doubt as we have spoken of the crucifixion.
And focused our attention on a crucified Christ for a few moments this evening. There are different reactions in this audience tonight.
What has your reaction been tonight?
Is your reaction to turn away and say, well, that's OK, but not for me? Or to say, well I'm not so bad, or just an indifference, or in the hardness of your heart. I don't know what the reaction of your heart is tonight, but I know the prayer of so many in this room is that the reaction of your heart is that it would be softened by the grace of God.
00:35:09
And that there would be such a work of the Spirit of God.
That you would turn to that man on the cross.
And that you would be saved. We sometimes sing that hymn look, look, look and live.
Takes us back and thought, does it not, to the story of the brazen serpent in the Old Testament.
A story that I suppose most of us have heard from the very early days of our childhood. And you remember how the children of Israel, after they were in the wilderness, sin came in amongst them, and God sent fiery serpents amongst them. And those fiery deadly serpents bit many of the children of Israel, and they died. What a graphic picture of sin and its effects.
But you know, there was a remedy. Moses was told to take and make a serpent of brass, and to put that serpent of brass on a pole where all could see. And everyone who simply looked at that serpent of brass was healed from the bite of the serpent. And we're not left to guess what the application of that serpent on the pole is.
Because the New Testament tells us in John Three, as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, Even so must the Son of Man be lifted up. And when we say the serpent on the pole lifted up, is a picture of the Lord Jesus Christ lifted up on Calvary's cross and made sin, that is not some fanciful interpretation or application. That is exactly.
What that represents, the Lord Jesus left us in no doubt.
But I say what made them whole was a look at the serpent of brass and what will make you whole tonight. What will take care of the sin? Question is to look to the Lord Jesus as the crucified one. It's true, He's a man in the glory, a Saviour who lives at God's right hand. But oh, tonight we need to look to the cross, to behold the Savior dying and to realize that he was there for you, if you will have him.
After he bore the judgment of God against sin in those hours of darkness, he cried with a loud voice.
He gave up the ghost. He laid down his life in a way that no other ever could or has.
And then?
And then they came to remove those bodies from the cross and to hasten the death of the malefactor on one side and the malefactor on the other, and they broke their legs.
But we read, when they came to Jesus and saw that he was dead already, they break not his legs, but one of the soldiers with a spear pierced his side, and forthwith came there out blood and water.
And we read in first John the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin.
What security do you have tonight for eternity?
What security do you have for eternity?
You know, they talk about job security, security for the future, They talk about investing our money wisely and all. There are all kinds of programs to give us a sense of security in this life.
But what about security in the next life?
King Rama the 7th was the last absolute monarch.
Of a country that was called Siam back in those days. It's called Thailand today.
But on November 26, 1925, he was crowned King of Siam.
History tells us that though he was a good and honest ruler, he was an unlikely candidate for any throne. He was a very retiring, reserved kind of man.
00:40:02
And he was forced to abdicate on March the 2nd, 1935, just a few months short of reigning for 10 years.
He died in 1941, in March 30, 1941 in England under very comfortable circumstances.
You say, how could he die under, live that long and die under very comfortable circumstances, being a deposed king and exiled from his own country while history tells us.
That he must have had some sense of what was coming because when he took the throne.
He took out unemployment insurance.
With two underwriters in Western Europe, a French and a British underwriter, and they were for substantial amounts of money, and he is recorded in history as the only king to insure himself against his own throne. But as a result he was able in exile to live very comfortably for a number of years.
Till the day of his death.
But what insurance do you have for eternity?
I'm not saying it's wrong to provide and lay up for the future here.
And for our loved ones and so on. That's not what I'm saying, but there's something that is far, far more important. Rama the 7th laid up and made plans in case he lost his throne.
And he lived comfortably.
What insurance he had for eternity, I have no idea.
But tonight, there's only one way to ensure your eternity with Christ.
And that is through the death and the shed blood.
Of the Lord Jesus and that mighty work of Calvary. You know, I was struck with a newspaper article recently that was speaking about.
The Black market for blood?
In Bulgaria.
It's quite a business in Bulgaria.
Because of the poor economic conditions of that country and corruption, there is very, very little blood in the blood banks of the hospitals of that country. But as this article explained, there are people who hang around these hospitals and health clinics.
Who are selling their own blood? It's illegal and if you get caught it's punishable by a fine of up to $1700 in the equivalent of US money.
But as this article said, it's very hard to really pin it down and to prosecute anyone. And people will go in and they will be refused surgery or treatment because there isn't their own type of blood in the blood bank.
And the minute they step out on the street, there's somebody there to negotiate with them. And people will pay hundreds and hundreds of dollars. And when they negotiate a deal, the person will go into the hospital or clinic. They will pose as a family member.
After verifying that they have the same kind of blood type as the person on this that needs the blood.
And they will get a certificate.
Are verifying that they have donated blood for a certain person come back out and sell that certificate for several $100. The problem is sometimes when that blood is tested, that blood is diseased or tainted and the person has spent hundreds of dollars for nothing but oh tonight the price has been paid, the blood of Jesus has been shed.
And thank God, I can stand here to tell you that I'm redeemed not with corruptible things as silver and gold, but with the precious blood of Christ and something I speak so carefully and reverently. I trust something that can never be tainted, something that can never lose its value before God, because God says tonight that it's precious. It is as precious and valuable to the heart of God.
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As when it was shared on Calvary's cross, the price has been paid. The gospel is free. Salvation is free. But it's not cheap. It was secured at a great, a tremendous price. And now it's being offered to those who will come and accept it through God's great gift, the gift of the Lord Jesus, And that eternal life that's being offered. Turn with me to Mark's Gospel, Chapter 16.
Mark S Gospel, chapter 16 and verse 6 And he saith unto them, Be not affrighted. Ye seek Jesus of Nazareth, which was crucified. He is risen. He is not here. Behold, the place where they laid him, Luke's Gospel, chapter 24.
Luke 24 and verse 39. Behold my hands and my feet, that it is I myself. Handle me, and see, for a spirit hath not flesh and bones as you see me. Have I read these verses, Because I want to stress for a few moments the resurrection of the Lord Jesus, Because if Christ be not raised, your faith is in vain, and ye are still in your sins. But thank God tonight we can present one who was raised again for our justification.
And when the Lord Jesus came forth from the tomb, not only was an empty tomb presented to those who were early there on the resurrection morning, but the Lord Jesus remained on earth long enough to give ample and complete testimony to his own that he had bodily risen from the dead. Handle me and see, for a spirit hath not flesh and bones.
As you see me have because the one that we present tonight not only died and was buried, but it says he rose again the 3rd day according to the scriptures and Christianity presents to us a living Christ. Yes, one who died. Salvation is based on the death and the shedding of the blood of the Lord Jesus Christ, but again there would be no salvation tonight.
If the Lord Jesus was still in the tomb, many boast of their tombs. The Muslims boast of their stone coffin. Other religions boast of this tomb and that tomb. And many will make long pilgrimages, often at great expense to themselves and great sacrifice to visit the tombs of those that they feel are their religious leaders or those that they worship. But oh, tonight we have a living Savior to present.
There is a Savior on high in the glory, a Savior who suffered on Calvary's tree, a Saviour as willing to save. Now as ever, His arm is almighty, His love great and free. Oh come now to Jesus, that dear loving Savior receive him this moment and peace shall be thine. And so He appeared on a number of occasions to various of His own, even as it says in another place.
To about 500 brethren at one time, what testimony that the Lord Jesus had bodily risen from the dead. But there's something else too. Let's go to the book of the Acts, Acts, Chapter One.
And notice in all of these scriptures that we are connecting tonight.
It is to behold the man. It's the man Christ Jesus. It's God's beloved Son that we seek to present.
Acts, chapter one and verse 9. And when he had spoken these things while they beheld, he was taken up, and a cloud received him out of their sight, because not only did the Lord Jesus bodily rise from the dead, but the moment came.
When there were those who observed him, yes, they beheld the feet of the Lord Jesus.
Leaving this planet, leaving this world from the Mount of Olives.
And the cloud received him out of their sight, and they saw him no more. But there was testimony not only to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus bodily, but the bodily ascension of the Lord Jesus as well. Because as we just quoted from that hymn, Christianity presents to us Christ where he is now, because not only the resurrection, but the ascension and the glorification of Christ.
00:50:31
Our gods. Amen to the work of Calvary.
We want proof tonight that God is satisfied with the work of His beloved Son. All we have to do is look up by faith into the open heavens and see where the Lord Jesus is now at the right hand of God. And I realize tonight that we don't look up and see Him with the natural eye, but there are so many here in this room who look up and see Him with the eye of faith.
Whom not having seen we love, though now we see him not yet believing, He rejoice with joy, unspeakable and full of of glory. We see Jesus, who was made a little lower than the angels for the suffering of death, crowned with glory and honor. How do we see him? Crowned with glory and honor. We see him by the eye of faith. And oh, tonight, if you will, by the eye with the eye of faith, look up into the open heavens.
God will direct your gaze to His man and where he is now, and God will give your soul testimony that he is satisfied with the work of His Son, and that the work of his Son is able and sufficient tonight to save you from your sins and make you fit for heaven. Let's go to Revelation chapter One.
Revelation chapter One and verse 7. Behold, he cometh with clouds, and every eye shall see him, and they also which pierced him, and all kindreds of the earth shall wail because of him.
Even so, Amen. This is a most solemn verse. You know the last glimpse this world got of the Lord Jesus Christ.
Was hanging on a Roman cross, crowned with a crown of thorns, suffering in his agony, and the last glimpse they got of him was as loving hands. Took him down from that cross after those hours of darkness, and laid him in that tomb, and that stone was rolled over the door.
Only his own, as far as we read, saw him in resurrection.
But the next World glimpse this world gets of the Lord Jesus Christ is the Lord Jesus coming in power and glory and judgment not as the lowly man of grace.
Not riding into Jerusalem on the cult of a donkey.
Not hanging on a cross of shame crowned with a crown of thorns, but heaven is going to open up to reveal him coming on a White Horse.
Crowned with many crowns in power and judgment.
What a solemn time it's going to be for this world.
Yes, as we had last night, he hath appointed a day in the which he will judge the world in righteousness. It wasn't the 21St of May.
But no doubt it's going to take place as sure as we're sitting here tonight.
It is going to take place.
And where are you going to be in that day of judgment?
If you refuse the Lord Jesus as your savior.
You're going to see him someday as your judge?
Either you will pass into eternity before the Lord Jesus comes to call his Saints away.
And you will be raised to stand to see him at the Great White Throne.
Or you will be alive to see him when heaven opens up.
And he comes forth, and all the kindreds of the earth wail because of him.
00:55:04
You know, for those of us who know the Lord Jesus Christ, the Lord Jesus prayed in the end of John 17 And he said, Father, I will that they also whom thou hast given me, be with me where I am, that they may behold my glory.
Oh, I thrilled to think of that moment. And maybe it's going to be tonight.
Well, I'm going to hear a shout and with all the redeemed from every age, I'm going to be called away.
To look into the face of my blessed Savior, and to behold his glory, and to behold it for all eternity.
Oh, what a day it's going to be. What a thrill to my soul and to so many here. But what about you tonight? Are you going to behold his glory in that way? Are you? Are you going to behold it in connection with the Lord Jesus executing righteous judgment here in this world?
You know if you're going, if you see him in that day as your judge.
You're going to see me there too.
Not a solemn thing.
I'm going to come back with the Lord Jesus when he comes in judgment.
You know, I watched the events in Egypt weeks ago unfold.
And it was a very solemn thing to my soul every time I saw pictures of what was unfolding. You know why?
Because of the number of times over the years I've been in Egypt.
I think if you were to calculate if I was to calculate it, I've spent about 12 weeks of my life in Egypt over 5 or 6 visits.
And every time I saw a picture of what was going on, the.
I knew exactly where it was happening. I had stood there on that bridge in that square on that street corner.
It was a solemn thing for me to see those events unfold, and thus human sorrow and.
All that went on, but you know what I thought of the.
When I when Christ comes back to reign in judgment, to execute judgment, I'm going to come with them and I'm going to see events unfold in this world.
And those that perhaps I've looked into the faces of on occasions like this.
And I'm going to see it through the eyes of the Lord Jesus.
And I am going to accept it as righteous judgment.
Solemn, solemn to think about.
But oh, I plead with you tonight at the end of this gospel meeting. Judgment is imminent, but salvation is being offered free to all. And I want to read one more verse in closing.
It's an Acts Chapter 7.
I'm not going to comment on this verse, but I want to leave it with you. We began with Behold the man, I want to end with this.
Acts Chapter 7, verse 56.
And he said, and said, Behold, I see heavens open, and the Son of man standing on the right hand of God, let's pray.
Luke 12:35
Reading
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Sure. If I remember, which I may not very carefully remember, you were talking about something like verse 40 something. I would suggest that in view of this being the last reading meeting that you feel very comfortable to choose where to start. Because if you start at the next verse where we left off, we're never going to get to your 47.
I didn't have a suggestion, I just put it in your hands. I think you need to make a choice.
Could begin at verse 31. I know that there was some comment made on the being free from worry in which really begins that section verse 22 down to verse 30, but verse 31?
Perhaps it's really verse 35 that gives us the labor and desiring to occupy.
Ourselves in the waiting and watching for our Savior. And as this hymn has reminded us that the Lord is coming soon. So perhaps we could begin at verse 35.
Let your loins be girded about, and your lights burning, and ye yourselves like unto men that wait for their Lord, when he will return from the wedding, that when he cometh and knocketh, they may open unto Him immediately. Blessed are those servants whom the Lord, when he cometh, shall find watching. Verily I say unto you, that he shall gird himself, and make them to sit down to meet, and will come forth and serve them.
And if he shall come in the second watch, or come in the third watch and find them, so, blessed are those servants. And this know, that if the good men of the house had known what hour the thief would come, he would have watched, and not have suffered his house to be broken through. Be ye therefore ready also, for the Son of Man cometh at an hour when you think not.
Then Peter said unto him, Lord, speakest thou this parable unto us, or even to all?
And the Lord said.
Who then is that faithful and wise steward whom his Lord shall make ruler over his household, to give them their portion of meat in due season?
Blessed it is that servant whom is Lord, when he cometh shall find so doing. Of a truth I say unto you, that he will make him ruler over all that he hath. But And if that servant say in his heart, My Lord delayeth his coming, and shall begin to beat the men, servants and maidservants, and to eat and drink, and to be drunken. The Lord of that servant will come in a day when he looketh not for him, and at an hour when he is not aware, and will cut him in sunder, and will appoint him his portion with the unbelievers.
And that servant which knew his Lord's will, and prepared not himself, neither did according to his will, shall be beaten with many stripes. But he that knew not, and did commit things worthy of stripes, shall be beaten with few stripes.
For unto whomsoever much is given of Him shall be much required, and whom men have committed much of him, they will ask, the more. I am come to send fire on the earth, and what will I if it be already kindled? But I have a baptism to be baptized with, and how am I straightened till it be accomplished? Suppose ye that I am come to give peace on the earth? I tell you nay, but rather division.
For from henceforth there shall be five in one house divided 3 against two and two against three. The father shall be divided against the son, and the son against the father, the mother against her daughter, and the daughter against the mother, the mother-in-law against her daughter-in-law, and the daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law.
Heard a phrase and I would like for a brother to just simply define what is being said. When we're Speaking of of temporal things, money, whatever it may be, we use the phrase they're a means to an end. And I think to some we're not really speaking plainly. And I was just wondering if there's a brother that could make a very short explanation of that and then we could go on.
00:05:14
That use that phrase, so I'll make an attempt at it.
I don't suppose anyone.
Here this morning.
Can live without some kind of an object.
I know there may seem to be those in this world and even believers who drift around aimlessly and don't have much of an object. But if you talk to most people, you find that there is some kind of object before them. And the whole question, I believe, for the believer revolves around what is my heart set on and what is my aim in life down here? And if we realize.
Why the Lord has left us here?
That is to honor and glorify Him in the world in which He was rejected, and to learn more of Him in going through circumstances down here with Him. Then we will make everything in our lives subservient to that. But if we have horizons which are limited by this world, then we are going to find that things down here.
Have a hold on us and they will to that extent displace what really should be the object and desire in the Christian life. And so when we look around us.
Just for example in the.
Story we had earlier in this chapter about the man who came to the Lord Jesus and said.
Tell my brother to share the inheritance with me.
Well, the world has a phrase which unhappily is all too true, that you never really know someone well until you have to try and share an inheritance with them.
And that is all too true. And it is amazing the squabbles and fights and bad feelings that occur in families and among people over trying to share an inheritance. Why? Because what has to do with life down here and getting ahead in this world and have something having something here?
Has gotten such a grip on them that that is what they go after. For you and me, yes.
Money is a means. Health is a means. Everything we have down here is a means.
But to what end?
To honor and glorify our blessed Lord in the world where He was rejected, to represent His interest down here, and to learn more of Him in whatever time He leaves to us. And if we make what we have subservient to that, then we'll be found doing what it says in Corinthians, using this world, but not abusing it. Or, as the Darby translation reads, using this world but not disposing of it.
As our own.
Thank you.
Can I just?
Want to ever give the impression in speaking about the things we spoke of in the Reading meeting yesterday, that we despise the mercies that God has given us in a land like this. And God has given us many mercies, many things to get us through this pathway of faith here in this world. And we are to work hard at whatever the Lord directs us if He directs us to go to school.
In our occupation, whatever it is, we're to work hard whatsoever thy hand findeth to do, do with all thy might, and we're to do it for the Lord's glory. To just scrape through school and not do our best isn't a good testimony to our fellow students and to our teachers and professors and so on. We're to do it as as under the Lord. And I think Daniel is a nice example of one who the Lord prospered in his business and in his work.
Under every king Daniel was raised up. In fact in the end it was what invoked jealousy amongst his Co workers was the fact that he had been promoted under the king. But when you read the life of Daniel you find that that is not what Daniel said is hard on. Daniel had purpose of heart to follow the Lord and to live for the Lord's glory from the time he was a young man first brought to the court of Babylon right through till you find him scheduling.
00:10:10
Three times a day for prayer, even in the midst of a busy work schedule. And so it wasn't what he set his heart on, but God gave him a good position and and many comforts and mercies. You don't find that Daniel despised them, but no doubt he used them in a proper way. The other thing we want to realize in Speaking of these things is that the temporal things that God places in our hand are not really our own.
We are simply stewards of what has been entrusted to us.
And it's required in stewards that a man be found faithful. And so if we look at what he's given us and realize that he's given it to us as stewards to use to get us through this life and to use for His glory and for the blessing of others, then that will put the proper perspective on the temporal mercies and it will help us to live in light of eternity and what place the proper value.
On the things that the children of Israel bought and sold in the Old Testament under the Levitical order was the nearness of the year of Jubilee. The nearer the year of Jubilee, the less value there was on the possessions that they bought and sold, because when the year of Jubilee came, they had to give it all back. So if a man bought a field in the 49th year just before the year of Jubilee, well, he didn't pay as much for it as if he had bought it 10 years before, because in one year he had to give it back. Now, brethren, if we're living in light of our Jubilee.
The coming of the Lord Jesus Christ. It will help us not to despise the mercies we have, but it will help us to use them and to place a proper value on them.
35 I'm sure coins be good about and your lights burning.
All of us in this room at least got up in at least two different ways.
Some of us in this room got up this morning. We packed our bags.
For departure, some of us got up this morning and we didn't pack any bags.
We got up in our own bed and we expect tonight to go to sleep in our normal bed. But some of us didn't. Some of us got up this morning and packed our bags. Today's the day of departure.
In this language of this verse, let your loins be gird about. That's an activity of when you're going to move, when you're going to go, when you're going to go out and do something. You in their day, you gird it up your loins for travel and you got ready to go.
If we did not morally pack our bags this morning to go to heaven today, we really aren't going to be able to serve the Lord Jesus in the full character of His intent for us today.
The sense of it is, if you told me the Lord was coming next week, I would be disappointed because you've delayed by a week. My hope?
The expectation of each one of us, properly speaking, is to get up each morning of our lives with the real. Not just profession, not just the doctrine, if you will, but the real anticipation that today may be the day. And we pack our bags, if you will, is when we get up in the morning with that anticipation, but the moment.
We enter into what this what's these verses which follow to where it says, My Lord delayeth his coming.
Our focus, our anticipation changes.
Little further to the illustration, sometimes we may plan a trip. And if it's a long trip and it requires a fair amount of planning, at least in our household, sometimes the spare bedroom things start to accumulate in that bedroom in anticipation of the trip. In other words, it's the getting ready to go. But it isn't until the last night that the suitcase might get fully packed and ready for the morning's departure.
And brethren, even if we think it's, we're planning for it. And so we take certain activities into account in anticipation, if you will, we start the process. That's not the servant here. He gets up, he said let your loins be gird about and your lights burning because he's anticipating at any moment that his master is going to come and they're going to leave on that for which his master has.
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Is under his hand and so he gets it before this chapter takes up any of the service side of it which he's preparing them for. He's telling them the attitude of the servant must be that. That's number one.
The sense, and that's interesting to us because if you think you're going to serve, you assume there's time, you assume, well, OK, if I'm going to serve in the Masters field today.
I he's, I'm going to do it.
There there's time for it, but the way the Lord presents it to us is to properly serve in the field today, there has to 1St be the sense of.
The Lord may come this moment and there won't be any more service. And that's really the only correct attitude of heart that makes his proper servants in this world, because the moment we lose that sense of any moment, he's coming immediately. The natural heart tends to settle down to, well, I'll have a cup of coffee today and I, I, I think I'll go do this today because then I'll do that for the Lord tomorrow and so on and the urgency of it very quickly.
Gets lost in US and we're going to do it, we plan to do it, but it just doesn't happen.
From from verse 22.
To verse 31.
The Lord Jesus mentions many things.
Which we could be worried about.
Many things of our daily life that we could be worried about and we should not be worried about.
And then he sums it all up in verse 31.
But rather seek ye the Kingdom of God, and all these things shall be added unto you.
It reminds me of.
A time many years ago when I talked to a brother who was much older than myself about these things and I said, well anytime of the day I think of talking to the Lord and and committing things to him.
And this brother said unto me.
Dear brother.
The first thing I wake up in the morning, I commit myself to the Lord. That'll be the first thing as soon as I wake up.
And I kind of took that to heart. Ever since then, the first thing when I woke up either myself or when somebody was me, my wife or.
One of the family committed the day to the Lord as soon as we wake up and things put put all the things that were coming before us before the Lord, and ask him to bring us through the day.
And I found that was a very good.
Procedure to go by.
And ever since if I didn't start.
My first thoughts in the morning when I woke up and committed things to the Lord, I always found out things didn't go right.
The day just didn't go right.
But I would exhort anyone, and especially the young people are so very busy, the first thing when you get up.
Think of that words.
But rather seek ye the Kingdom of God, and all these things shall be added unto you. There are so many things we worry, and we do worry when we get up that should be done, and there are some things that are very important.
And yet, if we commit it all to the Lord before we actually start today, things just fall in place. And when we get up at night or when we go to bed at night and we look back, we can say, well, this day went well.
In spite of all the voice that I had before myself, so this verse became a very important verse to my life.
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And it always worked well to heat what that old brother told me to do.
There are really three things in these verses that we're taking up that might be helpful to put with the same letter helps our young people and all of us sometimes. And that is, you know, we often speak about WWW and we all know what it means. But I've thought in connection with these verses and the servants too, we have three WS. We have watch, waiting, watching, and working. And that is really, brethren, what is to characterize us in light of the Lord's return and what is ahead in eternity.
And he speaks here in this verse too, about knocking in the end of verse 36, when he cometh and knocketh, that they may open unto him immediately. Now, I've thought of this in connection with the layout of our house, and I'm a little bit hard of hearing. And those who've been to my home know we have what's called a raised bungalow, and my office and computer room and general work area is on the lower level.
And if someone comes to my door and either knocks or rings the doorbell and I'm down on the lower level, I don't hear the doorbell or the knock. And so on a day that I'm anticipating someone coming to my home and someone that I don't want to miss when they come to my door, I go ahead with my work. I do whatever I feel has to be done that day, but I'm always keeping one year especially tuned to the knock or the doorbell.
And every once in a while I go up and I make sure that the person isn't at the door trying to get my attention. And so, brethren, we need to live like that, don't we? Yes, we need to go on with the work that the Lord gives us to do. And we have secular employment, We have family responsibilities, every one of us have worked for the Lord to do. But we need to keep one ear tuned, don't we? And so just as if we're expecting somebody to come to the door, we keep one ear tuned to that as we go about the house.
In the property, Are we really tuned in that way for the coming of the Lord Jesus? Yes, there are many responsibilities, as I say, but there is a moment coming when He's going to come. And brethren, we need to. I know none of us are going to miss the Lord's coming, I realize that. But won't it be wonderful when He comes to realize that we had an ear tune to it and that we were ready?
Is means that our lives are under control. You know, they used to wear these long flowing garments and if they were going to walk properly, they had to gird them. They had to put a belt around it to control it. And I think it shows that there's necessary in our lives to evaluate things and to control them properly.
One area where I think this is very important, we have in first Peter chapter 2 somewhat the same words used in an exhortation that Peter gives us. First Peter chapter one I should say, and verse 13. It says, Wherefore gird up the loins of your mind, be sober and hope to the end for the grace that is to be brought into you at the revelation of Jesus Christ.
Gird up the loins of your mind and I really am impressed in Scripture what it says about our thought processes. Brethren, we sometimes allow our minds to go in a lot of different directions. We need to control our thought processes. We need to think according to the.
Revelation of the Word of God that we have sometimes.
Older brethren have told us younger people.
Read the word, meditate on it and let it fill your thoughts. Let it form your thoughts so that you yourself don't think your own thoughts, but you think in the words, the very words of Scripture. And I think that's so important because we have a barrage of ideas coming towards us from this world around us in the media in so many ways that sometimes we get under the power of other thought processes.
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The Lord help us rather not just accept any idea that comes our way, but to submit it to the light of the scriptures that we have. Gird up the loins of your mind and be sober. We live in a world where there's a lot of tragedy. How can we live frivolous lives in view of what's happened in this country, in the Tornadoes and what happened in Japan?
Can you really think that you can just live it up in a world that's hurting so badly? Oh brethren, sobriety is another thing that should characterize the believer in the Lord Jesus.
2nd Corinthians chapter 10, verse five, the middle bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ and having any readiness to revenge, all disobedience when you are, when your obedience is fulfilled. And so that's why it says in Ephesians 6 that we're to have our loins gird about with truth, not just bringing things under control.
But under control as governed by the Word of God. And that's why we need the Scriptures and we need to read it every day. How are we going to know what is the pathway for us? How are we going to know how to live, what places the Lord, what is for His glory? There's got to be a basis for it. People talk about self-control and that's wonderful, but it may be self-control without the truth of God.
And so we're to have our loins gird about with truth. It's the thoughts brought into captivity, as you say, Brother Virgil, governed by the Scriptures.
There are two words here that the Lord uses in connection with His coming. One of them is to wait.
And the other is to watch very distinct. And the language of Scripture is very, very accurate. And the Lord desires us not only just to say that we're waiting for him to come, but they're actually evidence of our watching. And so the heart is engaged. And this is really what he desires. He says in verse 37, blessed are those servants, are happy are those servants. And then a little further on, he uses the same word in verse 43, blessed.
Servant whom the Lord, when he cometh, shall find so doing. And so this word really means happy. And it's a happy prospect to be found waiting and watching for the Lord. And it'll characterize us as being a happy people because we have our object before us as the Savior. And it's not the object to enjoy the pleasures of the treasures in this scene and so on as the world does, but it's the person of Christ. It has captivated our hearts and then it's.
Speaks here in verse 37.
Of how the Lord shall gird himself and make them to sit down to meet and will come forth and serve them. And so if we express our love in a practical way to the Lord Jesus in this scene, we wait for and we watch for Him. There's evidence of it in our lives, in our activities in life. Then His love for us will be shown manifested in a very real way. Love, Mr. Darby said, delights to serve. And love, selfishness likes to be served.
But in that scene, it's going to be a scene of love, and the Lord Jesus will express his love to us as he saw that we were watching, that we were waiting for him to come.
On that expression that you just mentioned, Robert.
In verse 37 And he that's the Lord shall gird himself, and make them sit down to meet, and will come forth and serve them.
When I read words like that, brethren, it I find them very humbling.
And.
I don't know how to even react to them in a certain way.
We have a very short time in which.
To have the privilege of serving the Lord Jesus.
We're here. We're here for a little bit, but it's going to pass very quickly.
And it's going to be done.
And we're going to pass from this earth into heaven, into the presence of the Lord Jesus in the Father's house.
But he.
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He will remain a servant forever.
He will remain a servant forever.
We will be like kings.
In the Father's house.
But because he loves us.
He has made the choice that he will remain a man forever.
And as a man, he will take forever the servant's place.
He will forever minister to us the Father.
He says I love my father and I will serve my father forever.
By remaining a man that the Father might be close to us.
In all eternity.
He said I love my my wife.
His pride, his Church, and that I might be near her, that I might continue to minister to serve her.
And have the close relationship. I will remain a man. And in the servant's place he loves his earthly people, his children that will be his in the tribulation and then the Millennium and on into the eternal earth. And he says, I love my children and for their sake I will remain a man.
That I might serve them forever. What does it mean to us, brethren, to think that we, this little tiny bit of time, could serve Him?
And when we look forward and see what's ahead of us.
The the King of Kings, the Lord of Lords, the Supreme, 1 The Beloved of the Father, will keep himself in that humble place as service for eternity to us.
I say I don't know how to take it because I I feel ashamed just thinking about it to say Lord, I feel like Peter and in first grin or in first John. I'm not first John, but John's Gospel chapter 13 when the Lord wanted to serve him by girding himself with the towel and getting at his feet. Peter says no Lord.
Oh well, the Lord will change us, so we'll accept it and we'll delight in it. But it will be a very humbling thing to have the Lord's service forever.
So may it encourage our hearts not to waste life, not to waste the moments of service that are entrusted to us now, but to.
Live for him until he calls us into His presence.
The thought I've enjoyed the connection. Brother Dom little verse.
In Hebrews 7 says and without all contradiction, the.
The Hebrews 77. I'm not going to quote it right.
Without all contradiction, the less is blessed of the better.
That verse has kind of been a comfort to me and thinking of of the Lord and his service in that way and feeling in that same way like Peter.
The less is blessed of the better. Yeah, we'll be blessed by the Lord in that way, but he's the better.
And the other thing too is he serves us, but he's not our servant.
He's Jehovah's servant. He's a servant of God, though he serves us.
There's that difference between waiting and watching, isn't there? And.
You could, I suppose, if you're waiting for somebody, actually go to sleep, but you're not watching. Watching is something that takes more energy. And it's interesting how those terms are used in scripture if you look at First Thessalonians chapter 5.
It uses the.
Two things that I think are.
Important to think about.
Verse 6.
Well, let's read from verse five verse Thessalonians 55. You are all the children of light and the children of the day. We are not of the night, nor of the darkness. Therefore let us not sleep as do others, but let us watch and be sober. For they that sleep sleep in the night, and they that be drunken are drunken in the night.
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But let us who are of the day be sober, putting on the breastplate of faith and love, and for in helmet the hope of salvation. So watching involves being alert at all times. It is easy. Sleep comes upon a person, sometimes almost imperceptible. Brethren, and.
And I find that sometimes when I'm driving my car, if it's not something that.
You know, you get off the edge of the road and they have those bumps that make it make you wake up. Sometimes the Lord in our lives allow bumps that make us wake up. Oh, how we need that Brethren. It is really important. There is so much that makes us just gently, gradually.
Go to sleep, you're waiting for the Lord. Sure, I'm waiting for the Lord. But are we watching brethren, I trust that's the attitude of my heart. But only the Lord knows and he watches and he sees is there that daily expectation like Don was mentioning of he might come today. Oh how important that is. And he looks at us and that's the problem with.
Set in any dates like has happened is if you set a date in the future.
Then you don't have to wait for him today.
Clem Buchanan made a statement that was a help to me. He said this.
Any date beyond today is wrong in spirit. I think that was a good statement and I think it needs to be thought about. We need to be awake, brethren, and it involves not going to sleep.
Soberness is in connection with, in contrast with drunkenness. And that's another problem that sometimes we're not talking about drunken with alcohol. We're talking about under the influence of present circumstances to the point that we are not in control of our lives properly. There are other influences that dictate the way we go.
Rather than these things are realities in the world we live in and we need to evaluate.
To be.
Awake and to be sober.
To not being awake and not being sober and here in connection with waiting and watching the consequences, really disorderly conduct and it's really.
It's really exposes our spiritual state.
There comes in disorderly conduct, disorderly thoughts, disorderly.
Um, taking up with one another as brethren. And this is really what took place here, my Lord. Delias is coming in verse 45 and shall begin to beat the men, servants and the maidens and to eat and to drink and to be drunken. And so there's evidence of not being in communion with the Lord and not being in communion with my brethren. It's a serious thing. May God give us the grace to desire to have a spirit that would be watching and waiting.
For the Lord, and then conducting ourselves in an orderly way while we wait for Him to come, and to be profitable not only to Himself, but to our brethren.
When we move on into this portion here about the testing of the servants.
There's something in there that I would like us to note that the Lord.
Does not commend according to our ability.
The Lord commends according to the Stuart, being faithful.
And so there are two types that are brought forth.
Here in this passage, one is the fateful servant, the Stewart that is faithful, the other one that is sleuthful and wicked. But it is not according to the ability, it is according to the faithfulness that he commends later on. In the latter part of it, we see greater knowledge. Greater responsibility means that we have greater accountability.
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And so there are some beautiful teaching in here.
And we need to look at being faithful stewards. And that is that is what is the Lord is going to commend is those that are faithful. It is not according to my ability or your ability. Our our ability will vary largely and maybe far more extreme than we think. And he has given us things according to our ability, but he's not going to commend us according to that ability. He's going to commend us according to being a faithful steward.
I think another.
Good example, and we've had this before another time.
As to have to do with waiting and watching and Luke 15.
Verse 20. This is obviously the story of the prodigal son.
Who left on his own, left his father's home on his own and went out and and was caught up in worldliness. And he spent all his money and he was hungry.
And he decided to come home.
I like the thought he knew he could come home.
He knew his father's love.
Compassion. And even though he'd done what he had done, he knew he'd be able to come home.
And he said, he would say to his Father, I'll arise and go to my father, and we'll say unto him, Father, I have sinned against heaven. And before they He had the order right, didn't he? Before heaven, Andy He had, He had the order right.
And.
He says he arose and came to his father, but.
When he was yet a great way off, his father saw him.
I had compassion and ran and fell on his neck and kissed him.
What I want to bring out is his father every day that this boy was gone.
Was not only just waiting for him to come home, he was looking down that road hoping to see him every day.
If he had been carrying on with normal.
Thinks he wouldn't have seen the boy coming, but he loved him so much he was looking for him to come home. So there's a difference in looking for the Lord and waiting for the Lord.
And I've always thought this is a good example here.
Like to make a comment very much an application. It's not the interpretation at all, the passage, but I think there's something for our hearts in it.
In our chapter here in Luke 12, we have service and preparation for the time when the service is to do it and it will be done.
And the day is coming in which we will be ushered into the Father's house and.
We would all long to have the word stated. Well done now good and faithful servant. That would be a joy to each one of our hearts.
But just for your enjoyment, I've enjoyed Luke 15 in a slightly different than its normal application and that is what must have been.
When the perfect son returned to the father's house.
When our Lord Jesus Christ, the perfect Son and the perfect servant.
Was welcomed home.
It's a private moment.
We will never know, but we can certainly enjoy the thought.
Of what it was when he embraced his son.
Who was returning to the home, his father's house, from which he had left to come here to the far country, to do the father's work and service.
There was maybe much more than well done, thou good and faithful servant. It was welcome home, son, in ways that we could only.
Know must be wonderful.
Should we make a remark to?
00:45:04
On this chapter, that I think perhaps is important for all of us because sometimes there is a serious misunderstanding among believers as to the difference between the Lord's coming for us and what we also refer to as the appearing when the Lord comes with us. And that was mentioned yesterday and here in this chapter. We need to realize that.
The Lord is talking in a general way, with more of a moral import for us, without altogether specific reference either to what we call the Rapture or what we call the appearing.
They shouldn't be confused because you and I, now, through other ministry in the Word of God, know the difference.
But for example it says in verse 39.
If the Goodman of the house had known what hour the thief would come, he would not. He would have watched and not have suffered his house to be broken through.
Well, we know very well that the Lord does not come for us as a thief, does he? Whenever it's referred to that is his coming as a thief or a thief in the night. It's the appearing because a thief comes unexpected and unwanted. You're not sitting up watching for a thief normally.
If you were, the thief would take care to come at a different time.
So what do we have here then?
We have the Lord referring in a general way to what will take place at His appearing.
There will be those who take the place of servants, and who will say, My Lord delayeth his coming.
And what will happen to them? Oh, they'll be deceived. They'll come under that strong delusion that's brought before us in 2nd Thessalonians 2. And they will indeed meet the Lord as a thief only if.
Me rephrase that they will indeed meet the Lord as a thief in the night, although they have taken the position of being servants.
And that's what it means in verse 46 it says he will cut him in sunder and appoint him his portion with the unbelievers.
But the moral import of it is intended for you and me, because the Lord doesn't immediately distinguish here between what we call the rapture and what we call the appearing. He speaks in a general way in order to give a moral lesson.
And sometimes the Lord gives us a moral lesson that primarily refers to unbelievers.
But is intended as a warning to believers because morally we can fall into the same kind of thinking and attitude, even though, thank God, we can never lose our salvation and even though we are destined to be caught up at the rapture. You get the same thing, for example, in Philippians chapter 3 where Paul talks about those who whose God is their belly who mind earthly things.
And what does he say? Whose end is destruction? Well, can you and I let ourselves off the hook by saying, well, that's an unbeliever. So I guess that doesn't apply to me. No. Why did Paul put it there when he was writing to an assembly of believers? Because they too could mind earthly things. Their God could be self, their belly. And so God gives us warning sometimes that have their eventual application to an unbeliever.
But which are intended morally to exercise you and me. And so let's be clear that when the Lord talks about coming as a thief in the night.
And coming unexpectedly, he doesn't appear that way for you and me, as Jim said.
No believers going to miss the rapture because he's walking carelessly or not watching, but it will be a loss in that day. And this is intended to exercise us in a moral way. Truth of the rapture wasn't known yet at this time, was it? And it's interesting in that connection, Bill and verse 40, he speaks of the Son of Man cometh. That's always the title he uses in connection with his.
Appearing when he comes at the end of the tribulation.
To take the Kingdom uses that term son of man. But what you say the moral import that we are to learn from we have in verse 41. Peter said unto him, Lord, speakest thou this parable unto us, or even to all?
00:50:11
I think these verses are going to have.
A real place in the believing remnant during the tribulation that will also be waiting for Him to come. But in spirit we should have that same attitude of waiting for the Lord from heaven at any moment. We know now that there is a moment when the Lord is going to come to take us home.
But we should be waiting in the same way. This is something that applies to us as well.
So can I ask you a question, something I've been wondering about lately with with how it's made the news with the prediction of the the rapture and the verse has been often quoted even in the news that we have here. He cometh at an hour that you think not.
But as our brother presented to us, if we're in our proper hope he's going to come in at an hour that we think isn't it if we're expecting him now when he comes now it's in an hour when we think he's going to come then he'll come for us. But in connection with his coming in judgment that's more an hour when you think not is that is a question if I need to be corrected on that. Appreciate it. I think if you look in this.
Parables taken up in the Matthew's Gospel you see something a little different and so it's very striking here said blessed are those servants when the Lord, when he cometh shall find them. Verse 36 in our chapter, sorry, when he will.
Return from the wedding that when he cometh and knocketh, they may open unto him immediately. Very interesting reference to a wedding. But you get to Matthew. It doesn't mention any of that. And in Matthew 24.
44 We have 4. In such an hour as you think not the Son of Man cometh. You don't have a reference to the Son of Man again until the 31St verse of the next chapter, when the Son of Man shall come in his glory. And in between that we have 3 parables presented, the faithful and wise servant, the parable of the 10 virgins, and the parable of the talents. And I believe in those three we have this present dispensation presented. And in connection with that.
He does indeed say at the end of the parable, the 10 virgins watch therefore, for ye know neither the day nor the hour. And it adds in the King James we're in the Son of Man cometh. It's not there. But that is also because I had exactly the same question, is it? Could we also say of the present dispensation that we know neither the day nor the hour? And I believe it's perfectly true. We can say we know neither the day nor the hour.
Because it's to be momentary, isn't it, with us? And so again, to go back to the illustration I used earlier of the person who is going to knock at my door, ring the doorbell. They may not have told me exactly what moment they're going to come. They may not have said I'm going to knock on your door at 10:00, but I know it's going to be at any moment sometime during that day. By the same token, 1 summer when we were away, we had a thief break into our house.
Went through our stuff and stole quite a bit of things. But we weren't expecting, as brother Bill said, we weren't looking for or expecting that. That thief, he came at an hour when we didn't expect him. But the person that told me that they were coming for some business reason or a visit, I, we were, I was expecting them. Let me use another little illustration that I know has often been used, but perhaps it will help us to get the perspective on what we're Speaking of.
When we were children growing up, we lived in a house outside of Smiths Falls on a busy highway and we had a big plate glass window that overlooked the highway. And when you came to that, to the front room and looked out that window, you could see in both directions down the highway for quite a ways. And on a day that we were expecting company, especially if it was somebody that we as children enjoyed having in the home.
Every once in a while you'd find us at the front window looking down the road in the direction that we were expecting that company. And we'd say to Mom or dad, now, are they going to be coming from the West or the east? Are they going to be coming from Perth or from Smiths Falls? And Dad, where Mom would tell us, well, they're going to be coming this direction. And so we'd be looking and we'd spend a few minutes there. We count a few cars, and then we go back to whatever we were doing. Maybe we had some chores we had to accomplish.
00:55:19
In anticipation of those guests.
Mom had some work for us to do. Whatever it was. We go back to our chores, then a few minutes later we'd be back at that window. We weren't just waiting for those people to come, those guests to come. We were watching. We didn't know exactly when they were going to come, but we knew it was going to be soon, sometime before the day was out. And are we looking for the Lord Jesus to come in that way? You know, it's a very searching thing.
Brother Nick, you mentioned the parable of the 10 virgins. And you know, we often take that parable up in the gospel and we stress the five who were foolish and who didn't have oil and weren't ready and so on. And that's very right to take it up in that way. But I think we missed something very important for our own souls when we focus simply on the five foolish ones. You know, there were ten. Five were real.
But you know, they, it says they all slumbered and slept. Not solemn to think about. If you had looked at those 10 ladies outwardly, you couldn't tell who was real and who wasn't. None of them were watching, even those that were real. And Bob read us some verses. But I was thinking too, in the end of Hebrews 13 it says, now is it high time to awake out of sleep, for now is our salvation.
Nearer than when we believed what salvation is that? That's the salvation of the body that we're looking for when we get the complete deliverance from the presence and power of the presence of sin taken out of this world with new changed bodies and so on. Are we asleep to that those those five ladies that had oil, they were real but they weren't watching for the bridegroom either. They were sound asleep. They had to be woken up brethren, maybe we have to be woken up. And I just want to add one other thing in connection with what Bob said because.
You know, the disciples fell asleep in the garden. And why were they sleeping? They were sleeping for sorrow. You know, sometimes I think just the sorrows and burdens of life can cause us to become spiritually asleep and lethargic as to the Lord's coming. And the Lord said, could you not watch with me one hour? Brethren, let's be careful as we leave this place and go back to the burdens. And I know they're real burdens.
I have no doubt there are brethren here this morning whose hearts are full of sorrow as you think of leaving this place and going back and facing some of the situations that if the Lord leaves us here, we're going to have to face. There's lots of real burdens. But brethren, let's be careful that we don't let those burdens and sorrows cause us to fall asleep spiritually and to lose sight of the fact that we need to be watching.
For the Lord Jesus at any moment.
That's good. I want to draw attention to something.
B2 rather than that, I believe, is something we all need to be exercised about, he says. Who then is that faithful and wise steward whom his Lord shall make ruler over his household, and this last portion to give them their portion of meat in due season?
And there needs to be in view of the Lord's coming. The Lord has given us so much brethren of the precious truth of God. To enjoy it in our own souls is important. But there are many who don't have these precious teaching. And we should be exercised to give the portion of food in due season. Sometimes we meet up with believers.
Wherever they are, they're part of the household of God, and we need to be exercised according to their capacity to give them something of food. That was the characteristic of the faithful and wise steward. May the Lord help us. Each one of us might not be much, but something to share with those who are fellow believers.
01:00:00
That may not have had the truth of God ministered to them as we have to be able to share with them.
Further comment on verse 42.
The Lord has a treasure in the earth at the present time.
It's his church, it's his possession, and it's here in the earth.
Presently.
And he looks for faithful and prudent servants for himself.
To look after and care for.
The needs of that which is his possession.
And to each in our measure someday will give answer to our Lord as to the measure in which we have cared for that which is precious to His own heart, to the extent that He gave his life for it. And there is different manners in which that which is precious to Him is cared for at the present time. And Bob just explained one of them to us, providing the portion of meat and due season for that which is his own. And so.
It's good for us to remember that part of the service of the servant is that responsibility that is presently given to care for his household.
Until he returns for it.
Could I just add one comment that too on a practical side?
We notice here that the emphasis is on the steward, who gives the household their portion of meat in due season.
There had to be a household for him to give it to, that's true.
But the emphasis in Christianity is on giving. It doesn't say Blessed is that servant who sits and receives what the steward dishes up.
That's true, and we all receive through Christ, the head of the Church.
From those whom he chooses to use, thank God we do that, but as a brother remarked many, many years ago, he said.
Christianity is characterized not by what it finds, but by what it brings.
If I can say it out loud, there is a strong tendency today among believers and we're affected by it.
To say well I'm not getting fed.
Or I'm not getting anything where I go or there's no food where I go, so I'm going somewhere else. I'm going to find a place. And there are many dear believers and we're not being critical, we're just stating the fact who go from here to there and everywhere seeking to get what they feel they need because.
The whole attitude in this world today, whether among believers or otherwise, has tended to foster a mentality of being takers.
That's not true Christianity. Yes, we are all receivers, but.
God calls us to receive from Christ and to seek to be givers.
And if we approach things in that attitude, I believe we'll find that the Lord will enable us to be givers. Yes. Will we also be receivers? Indeed we will. But at the same time, let's never complain about the situation because somebody isn't giving to us. Rather, ask the Lord, Help me to be a giver.
You see a bit of that spirit with a prodigal son, don't you? He came to father and he said, Father, give me. And isn't that what, as you say, what the spirit and attitude of the world is? And so often the spirit and attitude of the world affects the Lord's people. But I was thinking of that verse in first John chapter 3 that says, and this was manifested the love of God, and that He laid down his life for us, and we ought to lay down our lives for the brethren.
You know, we may never in this country and on this continent be asked to lay down our lives physically for our testimony like many, but we are to lay down our lives in service to the Lord and to one another as a living sacrifice. We're to present our bodies, living sacrifices. Are you and I really willing to go the extra mile for the good and blessing and the sustenance of the of the people of God if we do?
01:05:03
Then we will receive a blessing ourselves, not because we so much desired something for ourselves, but because He delights as the giver to give us every good and perfect gift.
There's a beautiful commendation given to Ruth by Boaz, he says it's been fully showed me all that thou has done, thy mother-in-law. And she had known Naomi in a better day and a brighter day when she had her husbands and her sons. And now she was old and widowed and those relationships were gone. But she claimed to her and back in the in the land, back in Bethlehem, she gleaned.
And she beat it out, and she provided for her.
Just like the steward. And the commendation of Boaz is that he had seen it all.
And the and the testimony, you might say in this world.
Once knew brighter and better days.
And you might say it's old and widowed in a certain sense, and the Lord is going to commend.
Any care that has been given in that way and providing and I believe he'll say as Arboaz.
It's been fully showed me.
You'll be seeing 139 one.
So wilderness.
Was great.
Owing your body Lord wasted all. Bring the heart to your breath. Nor to lose the Lord in terms of God breakfast.
The.
Great train insects your eyes love. We love the Lord. We shall not take the fear of honor to the Christ.
There is like that one again, always gracious but steps and by Christian's home, and we follow him.
To the states where he is going on his crown. For the quiet, where I'm savior is on.
Enjoy.
Some.
Treasure came from him, his love.
That is made us stop with the brainstorm.
To the center and we should relate to standard.
And say you're getting away until the Sonicwall shall come.
You shouldn't take the moment to stop and explain why.
So give my life together and bring it home. Leave it home.
01:10:26
Still with me, Oh my glory with me.
#25 in the appendix.
Yeah.
I'm sorry.
Set Your Mind on Things Above
Four Minds in Philippines
R. Thonney, B. Shane
Open—R. Thonney, B. Shane
DISCLAIMER: The following has been auto-transcribed. We hope it will help you to find the section of this audio file you are looking for.
We sing enjoyable strength.
On Earth, the sun began.
Heaven more sweet and love.
To hit my first stands by.
European we sing and enjoy.
Most great day on Earth.
There's what's the straight right across the sand.
In the water, creating him.
I saw him.
169.
Sing boring prayer by Shine a sunrise.
Trunk. Oh my God. So you're going to be screwed by my name and I spare. Is that the word?
Under the flowers.
'S life I survived.
No border house here. Mr. stood here.
I thought.
Swimming no more to pray, because I am once slain, but they have to come out of the day for the Lord.
00:05:02
Oceans Chapter 3 brother.
Colossians chapter 3 and verse one.
If ye then be risen with Christ.
Seek those things which are above where Christ sitteth on the right hand of God.
Set your affection.
Margin is the mind on things above.
Not on things on the earth, for ye are dead.
In your life is hid with Christ in God.
When Christ, who is our life shall appear, then shall ye also appear with Him in glory.
These verses came to mind in connection with the theme we've had in our readings, living now in view of eternity.
And in this epistle of Colossians our position is.
Dead with Christ if you look back to the second chapter.
And verse.
13 It says you've been dead in your sins, and the uncircumcision of her ear flesh were dead with Christ, and going back to the 12Th verse, buried with him in baptism, wherein also ye are risen with him through the faith of the operation of God, who hath raised him from the dead. So our position is dead.
Buried.
And risen again. It's not something that should be that way, brethren.
It is. That's what took place really at the cross. The Lord Jesus did the work of redemption. He died, He was buried, and he rose again. Now that position that He occupies is the place that we occupy in Christ, dead, buried, and arisen again. Now in view of that, we have these words of exhortation in verses one through 4 of chapter 3.
If it says you could read it since.
Ye then be risen with Christ.
Seek those things which are above.
Where Christ sitteth on the right hand of God. So we are definitely told what we should be seeking.
We had in the reading this morning that the Gentiles seek after those material things, but we are to seek the Kingdom of God and His righteousness. But here it is seeking those things which are above.
Where Christ sitteth on the right hand of God.
Interesting to think about this sometimes in young people's meeting or.
Maybe some other more informal type of meeting? I have stopped to ask the young people or maybe the older ones too. Tell me what are some of those things?
That we are supposed to be sitting seeking.
Where Christ sitteth at the right hand of God. Well, we know he's there, but it's those things.
In relation to him and his position there, you know what I get when I look around? A great big blank look on the face.
What are you talking about?
We generally don't spend too much time thinking on those things which are above.
Stop and think about it.
On a normal day, your work day, what percent of the day would you spend thinking about those things that are above?
Anybody here would volunteer 10%?
I don't think so.
5%, that's still quite a bit.
00:10:01
I'm afraid, brethren, we don't direct our thoughts in that direction very much.
I have to put my hand on my own breast and admit that that's not the way. Generally speaking, I live always so many things to be thinking about, things that we got to take care of, things we want to do even in the service of the Lord perhaps, but to set our mind on things above. That's what it says in verse two. Really, as I mentioned, verse 2, the marginal reading is set.
Your mind on things above, not on things on the earth.
That's a pretty direct, clear statement of what we should be doing.
Isn't it? I think it is.
Well, as I give sometimes a little time to be thinking, some of the first things I get from young people and I say love.
Joy, peace, well, those are things above, yes, not exactly things in the normal way, their moral court characteristics of what is characteristic there and it's certainly part of what's there.
But brethren, I've been amazed. Remember one time down in Bolivia.
I gave a sheet of paper to a brother and I said I want you to jot down all the things we come up with.
During this meeting of things that are above and brethren, there's a lot of things to be thinking about above and we need to set our minds on those things.
I'll just share to suggest a few that I've enjoyed. One is I think it was mentioned.
These days, the Father's house.
Why doesn't the Lord Jesus say in my house? Why does he say in my Father's house?
Are many mansions or abodes?
You know, there's really only one house in heaven that it speaks about. Sometimes we like to think that there's big wide avenues in heaven and everybody has their own mansion.
I think that might be kind of affected by the way we live here in the United States, but it really only speaks of one house, the Father's house, you know, in John's gospel where that is mentioned.
It really doesn't consider the church so much as the family of God, and a father may have many children.
Brother down in Bolivia.
Or I should say in Mexico that had seventeen children. I'd like to ask a father like that, What's your favorite child?
And you know when they.
When the family life is proper, what they say to me, they're all my favorites. But you know, they're favorite in different ways. And I think that's the thought of the father's house. There is a place for Jim Highland. I'm not going to be able to fail. It's just made for him.
There's a place for me, Brother Jim, that you're not going to be able to fill. It's for each one. And even though there will be millions upon millions of the redeemed, nobody is going to feel lost up there in the multitude. There will be a special place for each one. Isn't that wonderful to think about?
Let me just mentioned two more things.
Above that I've enjoyed.
One is the Tree of Life mentioned in Revelation chapter 22.
You know in the second chapter of the Bible you have the tree of life in the midst.
Of the garden.
But man sinned and was blocked from entering the garden in that condition. In that fallen condition, he would have eaten of that tree and lived forever. In his fallen condition, it would have been the most awful, horrible punishment possible. And God in His mercy blocked the way of the tree of life.
00:15:01
Until redemption was accomplished, and now that redemption is accomplished, we find the tree of life. There it is in the paradise of God.
There it is in the midst, because it's the Lord Jesus that occupies the central place in all the councils of God. Wonderful thing, brethren, and that tree.
Bears 12 fruits.
All the enjoyment, the continued and varied enjoyment of His glorious person that we will enjoy in that eternal day. The leaves of the tree are for the healing of the nations. That's definitely millennial because in the eternal state there won't be any need for healing. There will be no suggestion of any of sin or its results in the eternal day.
But isn't it wonderful to think in the millennial day, I don't really think there will be any need for hospitals or doctors or pharmacies or medicines that we're so dependent on now because there will be healing from the leaves of that tree, the Lord Jesus. Wonderful, wonderful day that's ahead.
The other.
Thing above that, I'd like to I've enjoyed Brethren in chapter 21 of Revelation. You're going to get a lot of things in that chapter.
But in the first part of the chapter, it's generally taken that you have the eternal day, the day of God, from verse one through 7. Verse eight is the eternity of the lost.
But in those verses it speaks of thirst.
First, in eternity, is there going to be thirst?
And you know, as I meditated on it, brethren, it says he that is athirst, let him drink.
Of the Fountain of the Water of Life.
And this is the thought that has come to my own soul. I've enjoyed it thoroughly that even in that eternal day when everything is of God, you and I will not be sufficient in ourselves. We will always be dependent on God.
Remember, Brother Albert? Hey, Hossein.
Every desire and it's going to be all right desires in that day.
And we will have right desires, but they will all be fulfilled completely, fully fulfilled in that fountain of the water of life. Our God will supply our every need through that eternal day.
Oh, what a thing to think about. So I'd like to just leave that exhortation with you, brother.
Set your mind on things.
Above. Not on things on the earth. You know we're called to heaven.
And heavenly glory.
And this Earth is going to be tremendously glorious in the millennial day.
But there is no way to compare the glory of the heavenly with the glory of the earthly.
It far, far exceeds it, in fact, when Paul was caught up to the 3rd heaven.
To and he afterwards speaks about it.
He saw things because it speaks of the visions and revelations of the Lord.
Vision is something you see.
But he also heard things. You know, it's interesting. He doesn't say anything about what he saw. It just says something about what he heard.
He heard unspeakable words that it is impossible.
For a man to utter.
Is so far beyond anything we know here that the Apostle Paul found it in himself, unable to express what he saw and what he heard.
00:20:04
I remember when I was quite a bit younger, my father went to be with the Lord in 1975, thirty six years ago.
I asked Brother Dan Jacobson out in California. He lived out there for quite a bit of his life. He was from Pennsylvania, if I don't if I remember right, but.
I asked him, Brother, do you think that those that have passed on know anything about us down here in the world if they know if we're going on straight or if we're not walking with the Lord?
And he thought for quite a while and.
He said to me.
You know, I think that the glory of heaven, Christ's glory, is so overwhelming.
That earth and its problems and its troubles just kind of fades in the distance. It's like you ever seen something that is tremendously fascinating and interesting. You're going to be thinking about yourself at that moment. I don't think so. Fact, when Paul was caught up to the 3rd heaven, he says.
Was on my mind. Was I in my body or out of my body? I cannot tell. God not He didn't even realize to have my body on. Orton did on I have it on. Don't know.
Oh, it's wonderful, brother. But the glory of heaven far, far exceeds anything that we know down here, even in the millennial day. And like I say, it's going to be glorious in the Millennial day. Wonderful. Wonderful.
Nothing to compare with what is reserved for us brethren. So the Lord give us brethren to be occupied with those things that are above.
To set our minds on things above, somebody has said, if you set your mind there.
Your affections will follow, and I believe that's the truth.
Then he says in verse 3, For ye are dead.
Dead people.
Do you know you're dead?
Is this just a doctrinal teaching or is this what is the truth?
It is the truth, brethren, we are dead.
And it doesn't stop there, it says.
Your life is hid with Christ in God. Oh I love this brethren, Our life is not what we have down here in this world. Our life is up there.
Oh to understand it. Oh to live it more.
I just have to confess for myself.
That I don't think I really live the life that God has given me. It's that man in the glory, that man that came down here into this world and then went back into the glory of God. I often like to think of Elijah. You remember when Elijah was about to be taken up into heaven?
He asked Elijah, ask what you will, and it will be done to you. And so Elisha said, let a double portion of your spirit beyond me.
And Elijah said you've asked a hard thing, but if you see me when I go, it will be. If not, it won't be.
You can imagine how Elisha was careful to keep Elijah in his sights because it could be at any moment it would be gone and he missed the blessing.
But as he came back and he saw it happen.
Some people think that Elijah went up to heaven in the chariot of fire, you know.
He didn't go to heaven in the chariot of fire. Chariot of fire came along and separated the two.
And he was taken up into heaven when a whirlwind.
And Elijah saw it. Or Elijah said. And so as he goes back.
The double portion of Elijah's spirit rested on him. I'd like to think of the double portion of this.
00:25:01
Boy, brethren, he could say as he went back, I knew a man who walked here in this world and he went up into the glory. And you and I, brethren, can say the same thing. We know a man that walked through this world.
In complete perfection. And then he went up into the glory of God.
And that, man, is my life.
Oh, isn't that wonderful, brethren, to really enjoy that. I see sometimes young people, sometimes even older people that seem to struggle.
With the question of deliverance, from what we are, naturally speaking, brother.
Oh, just to understand the truth, the reality of this truth that we are dead, we are buried, we are risen again with Christ.
All that I am as a man in the flesh is dead and buried.
Somebody dies.
You bury him.
How often do you go uncover the grave to see how he's getting along in there?
Better not do it, it wouldn't be a very pleasant task.
And the more I look in to see all that I am in the flesh, it gets worse. You young people are not as bad as I am.
Because it gets more putrid all the time what I am as a man in the flesh.
But that's buried. That's dead and buried. Leave it there where God has put it, our life, His head with Christ in God.
What does it mean that our life is hidden?
I can put it in this way, brother, and because in chapter in verse four, it speaks of the appearing.
And I think we've understood when we speak of the appearing, that's what takes place at the end of the great Tribulation period, when the Lord Jesus comes back in power and glory to this world to reign supreme, and every eye shall see him. That's the appearing.
But people look at us now and they say these weird people come and they sit in a meeting like this. They don't even have any visible person to guide them in their meetings. What in the world are they doing?
Well, that's the case, brethren. Our life is hid.
With Christ in God, the world doesn't understand us, can't understand us really, because they don't know this life that we have.
But then it goes on. In verse four it says, When Christ, who is our life shall appear, then shall ye also appear with him in glory.
Brethren, that's what we're looking forward to. That's the day.
When we will shine with Christ in glory, And I often think of it because it says every eye shall see him. I don't know if it's my own imagination, but it says we also shall appear with Him in glory.
And so as he comes back, those neighbors of yours that said, those weird people, I don't understand why they live that way.
When they see us coming back with Him in glory, they're going to say, now I understand why they live that way. Our life is going to be manifested at the appearing of our Savior Jesus Christ. O brethren.
Tremendous glory is just ahead for the believer in the Lord Jesus.
But these things are realities to us now and we are to live in the reality of it, to enjoy it. Our life is hid with Christ in God, but our life is going to be manifested in that coming day of glory. I just love to try to think of the glory of that day.
I have a picture in my House of the Mount of Olives. Actually, it's not the Mount of Olives. It's a picture taken from the Mount of Olives toward the West. You know, outside of the Temple Mount in Jerusalem, there is what's called the Kidron Valley. And then on the other side is the Mount of Olives. That's where the Lord Jesus went up from.
00:30:13
And that's where he's coming back, according to Zechariah's prophecy. His feet.
Shall touchdown on the Mount of Olives.
Think of the glory of that moment when he comes back.
That poor Jewish nation, how it's going to be completely trodden under foot in the Millennial day or in the Tribulation day when the King of the North comes through and leaves it a desolate wilderness.
But then the Lord Jesus comes back.
To reign supreme in glory. And we are going to be with him. Brethren, let's live in view of that day. Everything down here seems to be dissolving, falling apart.
There's really young people. There's really nothing down here that's worth living for. It may be a means, like we have said, to an end. Let's use it as a means to an end, but let's not live for these things. We're living for a day of glory that's still future.
For one.
We have had gird up the loins of your mind.
We have had in Ephesians gird up the loins with truth.
And in view of the coming.
And we have had set your affections, set your minds on things above.
The book of Philippians is about joy and rejoicing, but there also is a sub topic in there called the Mind.
There are four mines in there. I'm going to give them to you real briefly.
And the time remaining, I'm going to try to speak upon two of them. Chapter one, verse 27 is a single mind.
Chapter 2, verse seven is a submissive mind.
Chapter 3 verse 15 is a spiritual mind and chapter 4 verses 7-8 and nine is a secure mind.
Starting with chapter one and verse 27, A Single Mind.
Only let your.
Conversation or your conduct, be as it becometh the gospel of Christ, that whether I come and see you, or else be absent, I may hear of your affairs.
So if we take out part of that verse and we read it, let only your conduct or your conversation be as it becometh the gospel of Christ.
That I may hear of your affairs, that you stand fast in one spirit, with one mind, striving together for the faith of the gospel. 1 Spirit, one mind.
I said I wasn't going to say much on.
Numbers one and three, mostly on two and four.
We see a connection between 1:00 and 2:00 in singleness of mind and unity of mind and similarities. There are some things that overlap. We also, in God's Word, have a singular eye. In a spiritual eye there is never a plural eyes.
It says that a double minded man is unstable in all of his ways, therefore we cannot have.
A divided heart, therefore we cannot have.
A double mind. We are to have a single mind.
One spirit, one mind striving together, moving on to the second one.
Chapter 2. Verse 5.
Let this mind be you, and you which was also in Christ Jesus.
What we are to do here in this passage is we are to look directly into the mind of our Lord and our Savior and what God has given us that is important to Him to put in His Word.
00:35:09
The mind of Jesus.
Have you stopped and looked into the mind of your savior?
Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus.
Who being in the form?
The word form is used twice.
Form is an outward expression.
That can be seen by others.
Of the inward nature of the person that you're looking at.
An outward expression of the inward nature of the person that you're looking at.
Who being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be?
Equal with God.
But he made himself of no.
Reputation.
He laid that aside.
He laid it aside and made himself of no repetition.
And he took on the form again the outward expression of an inward nature.
Of a servant.
I'm looking into the mind of Jesus.
Therefore, we're looking inward and we're seeing an inward nature of a servant.
And therefore we are to have the inward nature and the mind of our Savior, of a servant, so that we can take on the form, the outward expression of that servant.
The mind of our Lord and our Savior as a servant.
What a beautiful thing that is. He's always going to be a servant. We heard that this morning. He's going to spread forth the table for us.
Our table has always been supplied, hasn't it?
Our Lord and our Savior bleeding and die on Calvary's tree, taking our place.
Appreciation of the one who paid the price in full.
The servant.
And was made in the likeness of men.
Hold your finger there.
Romans chapter one.
Verse one Paul a servant of Jesus.
Paul knew the inward expressions of.
Jesus Christ.
Paul understood the mind of Jesus Christ in this part of it.
And he took on the form of a servant.
I remember sitting one time in the ministry meeting was a young man, barely saved, and I remember a passage that came forth out of the Book of Acts. I could take you to the building, I could take you to the part of the room, and I could describe the whole thing to you.
And the passage that was brought forth came out of the book of Acts, was that we need certain men.
And I don't need to know their names.
Certain men.
That comes out of the book of Acts.
And they lived on a street called Straight.
That's a street that exists in God's Word, certain men on a street called the straight, that can be servants.
The mind of our Lord and our Savior.
And being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself and became obedient unto death.
Even the death of the cross.
Fulfilling the Father's will.
Wherefore God also hath highly exalted him. Why did God highly exalt Jesus?
Because of the inward parts and where his mind was at that we have to look at. He highly exalted him because of what he did for others.
00:40:10
For you and for me.
What have we done for others?
What have we done for our Lord as servants for others?
There has to be a reason why he highly exalted him. Our example was perfect.
It's because of what he did for others, even unto death, the death of the cross. And he has given him a name which is above every name. I was walking over to eat my meal yesterday.
A brother a little bit older than me looked at me and he asked me a direct question.
When you pray.
Do we need to say which name it is? It is above all other names.
In our prayer.
Unto the Father in the name of.
My Lord Jesus Christ.
Sometimes we hear a prayer that doesn't have an exact name there.
I can remember another brother one time when I was younger saved, spoke on the name of the Lord Jesus Christ. And he says I want you to go home. And he says he wants you to think about this name and to come up with many things as you can about the name, just like the things that are in heaven, the rainbow.
Etcetera, the Seraphins. We could go on and on, couldn't we?
Went home and I sat down. A name above every name.
Saints, and now falls to tell you that usually I pray under the Father in the peerless name of the Lord Jesus Christ.
Some thought.
About the name.
Have you given that thought about his name?
A name that is unequaled. A name that is unmatched.
A name that is wonderful. They wondered at him. They pondered at him. They meditated upon the words that came out of his mouth.
And it goes on and on and on and on.
What's the one that you've chosen that's near and dear to your heart for your Lord and your Savior?
A wonderful name.
Beautiful.
That at that name Jesus, every knee should bow, and things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth.
And that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord.
There's a purpose.
Here's the purpose, the whole purpose of doing this.
To the glory of God the Father.
As young Christians when they grow.
Somewhere all of a sudden.
It's what I'm doing, bringing glory to the Father. Or not, or.
Or is it wood, hay and stubble?
The mind of Jesus as a servant.
An inward part that takes on an outward expression.
We've had the mind of the Christian, and that's what we're having today.
It's just been coming around to the mind of the Christian.
It's a mind of supplication, isn't it?
First mine was of adoration.
Our first one was a single mind.
Now we have a submissive mind.
Chapter 3 and verse 15.
Let us.
There is a appeal for unity in the believers.
Let us therefore as many as be perfect, matured, be thus minded. Minded is in here 3 * 2 Times in ones mind three times total. Be thus minded, and if anything, be ye otherwise minded.
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God shall reveal even this unto you.
Nevertheless.
As to that which we have already attended attained, excuse me, let us walk by the same rule.
Let us mind the the Pearl. There it is. Us mind the same thing.
Before the conference took place, we had a meeting in Johnston, IA.
Six of us from Iowa falls in our cars at about 7:00 on Saturday morning and we drove down to Dolls grocery store. We met our brethren from Pella.
And we went in and we sat down and had our last meeting together.
About things that would take place here.
And we just got done with the meeting over here.
At 12:45 and barely made it. Someone's came in late.
The unity of the mind and of the Brethren.
God says that this is important.
That we be of the same mind in unity together.
You know, it didn't take too long in either one of those meetings and we saw unity in our minds.
In agreeance.
And at both meetings.
The two oldest elders spoke first.
And it was held with great value.
I wasn't going to speak too long on one and three.
Let's move on to Chapter 4.
To secure mind.
I truly, truly believe that we are in the last days very close to.
The Rapture.
Satan is at work.
Very, very hard.
On the mind of the Christian, I'm not a negative person. I don't dwell on those things very much.
I move right on into the positive of how to cure it, because God's Word always.
Tells us how to cure a problem.
But Satan is working overtime and that matches his word.
About the false teaching in the last days, it matches his word about the falling away, it matches about the backsliders in the last days, et cetera, et cetera, et cetera.
What does God say to teach us to have a secure, solid, firm mind?
Verse 6.
Be careful.
For nothing.
Sometimes Bill has to put.
Words simple to understand it sometimes I have to look up other translations.
Don't worry for anything.
Be anxious for nothing.
But in everything by prayer and supplication.
With Thanksgiving, let your requests be made known unto God.
And the peace of God.
Which passes all understanding.
Shall keep.
That means guard.
Your hearts and mind.
Through Christ Jesus.
Quite often when people speak to this passage, they speak of the peace of God in verse seven and the God of peace in verse 8.
Let me say this, that the peace of God.
Guards our heart and our mind, and when we get down to the God of peace, he guides.
OK, and he's going to guide us in our mind.
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There's three things in having a secure mind.
One is the right kind of praying.
And that's what is brought forth here by prayer.
And supplication with everything given. Thanks. Make your request be made known unto God. Hold your finger here and turn back to James chapter 4 with me.
I said that maybe I didn't say it.
The passage in Philippians is quite often called the peace chapter that we're in because of the words peace. James Chapter 4 is the chapter of wars.
From where come wars and fighting is among you, Just the opposite. Compare the two chapters together. When you leave here, get home, take the two chapters. Study them together, OK?
The bottom of verse two. Because you ask not, ye ask, and you receive not, because you ask amiss, that you may consume it with your own lusts.
A correct way to pray and ask, and an incorrect way to pray and ask.
The incorrect way given to us by James is that because we ask not.
Sometimes we don't get on our knees and ask.
With him, all things are possible.
Sometimes you ask or miss and not according to His will. It's upon your own lusts.
I remember one time when I was.
One of time when I when I went through a meeting, I looked over sister's shoulder and I looked at where she was reading at and it touched me and it says watch your foot when you enter into there.
Do you stop and think about what you're going to ask when you directly grow into the throne where the veil has been torn, and you ask the God above all other gods, the God that created you, what you want to ask him? Have you thought about it?
Don't ask amiss.
With Thanksgiving.
How many times have we not been thankful about the blessings that we have? Count your blessings, count them one by one, and it will surprise you what the Lord has done. He likes to hear what His Son did for you.
Give him some thanks at the beginning, don't just jump in and say I need this.
Prayer with Thanksgiving. Proper prayer with deep thought before you bow the knee and ask, but don't skip it. Ask.
Sometimes you ask not, James says.
Finally, brethren, verse 8, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatever things are of good report, if there be any virtue, if there be any praise, we just read what Bob kind of read in a different scripture. Think on these things.
Isn't that beautiful? What does James say about it? I lost my own place and James, we got to keep it there. I'll be right with you, James. Chapter 4 again, Verse 8. Break into the bottom half first of verse 8.
Yeast, cleanse your hands, ye sinners, and purify your hearts. You double.
Minded.
Purify your hearts and you double minded. A double minded man is unstable in all his ways.
His heart is divided and is not pure.
What does it say? Draw nigh unto God, nearing to God, and He will draw near unto you. What causes the feeling of the distance between you and your Savior? There is only one thing that causes that distance between the feeling of the distance, because He is inside of us, the Holy Spirit. He is here with me. The feeling of that distance is sin and nothing but sin, and it has to be confessed and straightened with. Purify your heart. She double minded. The flesh is taken part here.
And another part here and it's gone two ways and it's not correct and you need to purify it becomes a single heart.
And that's what we have think on these things which are.
Pure.
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A right kind of thinking, A proper prayer.
And a right kind of thinking.
Those things which he had both learned and received and do, and seeing me do, and the God of peace.
He'll guide you.
Shall be with you.
How?
Do we live our lives?
James chapter 4 again.
Verse four. Ye adulteress and adulteresses, know you not that your friendship of the world is enemy with God enmity. Whosoever, therefore, will be the friend of the world, is the enemy of God.
Are you the friend of the world?
We have learned and we have received this weekend.
And when you pick up your word and you read it, God feeds you.
Are you a doer of what you have learned?
And received.
It's time to sit down.
Let's close with hymn #78 in the back of the book.
I am waiting for the Lord.
For thy beauty, you see, Lord, I am waiting thee for thy coming again. Thou art gone over here, Lord. A place to prepare, Lord.
At thy home, at the Thy home I shall share, At Thy coming again. Let's close with a short prayer, and then we'll sing this hymn, Father in Heaven.
Waving Lord.
God, Lord.
Danger.
And fear.
My heart bearing here.
Of the game by speaking here all the time.
Again it goes on joining the Lord.
Oh sorry Lord, ignore the Lord.
Praise Lord, Oh Lord, appreciate it.
I would agree to you for a day, Lord, only you continue to change exhibition, change in colors.
Power in Our Lives
Overcoming Guilt